workouts

There are days when you walk into the gym feeling fantastic, expecting your first squat PR in months, or just eager to do your routine for the day, and somehow your entire plan crumbles to bits. On the other hand, sometimes you know even before you hit the mat that no asana will feel right, or you’re just too sore from the previous workout, and your body refuses to cooperate.

Whichever scenario sounds most familiar, chances are you’ve had your share of bad workout days, and you’d gladly forget all about them. However, there are some simple ways you can adjust your workout on those bleak days and still make the most out of your fitness routine!

Define Progress
Even though it’s healthy to be competitive with yourself and strive to overcome your current abilities, progress is rarely, if ever, linear. It has many important aspects, including learning the mechanics of a movement, increasing your endurance or strength, or pushing your body further into a...

I always love sharing a heart warming story...although I must admit this one makes me tear up every time I talk about it even though it has a happy ending. Alex Scott is a little girl who had cancer all her life until the age of 8 when she passed away. During her fight with cancer she created a lemonade stand to raise money and awareness for cancer research that helped children like herself.

She created an incredible movement that was all over the news and in publications near and far. Other children and families joined in, creating their own lemonade stands to follow in Alex's footsteps. Sadly, Alex couldn't beat her disease (this is the part that hurts) but she left behind a legacy of goodwill, love and dedication for her vision that lives on as the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation and Alex's Million Mile.

When I was approached about working with Alex's foundation, I immediately said YES. The story completely moved me and I felt like Alex handpicked me to share her...

I've been stand up paddle boarding for YEARS to the point that I feel like a pro. It took many attempts and lots of practice to reach my level of comfort. It's really all about getting used to the dynamics of the board and how your body feels on it. Keep in mind everyone's different. Some people don't take to SUP or think it's boring. I think it can be an exciting and super intense workout depending on your path, wind and the turbulence of the water.

My experience with SUP has been different in every location where I've jumped on a board--from calm to choppy waters. It's one of my favorite workouts because once you get the hang of it, you can relax and enjoy the view in a way you can't with other sports.

Here are my 5 Top Tips for SUP

1. Watch and get a sense of the ocean or whatever body of water you’re about to enter. Rough waters can be really tricky if you’re new to SUP. They can also be really fun! Like paddling on the Hudson River, which is ridiculous with all...

This topic is an important one, especially in light of the deaths of Karina Vetrano and Vanessa Marcotte, which both really affected me as an avid outdoor runner. Karina's death was just too close to home. Her body was found along a Howard Beach path she ran down often. And finally, just a few days ago, her murderer/rapist was caught and charged. Vanessa Marcotte's death, while it didn't happen in New York City proper (her body was found in Massachusetts where she was jogging while visting her mother), was still a major reality check for me because she worked at Google, a mere block away from where I used to live here in NYC. For months, every time I walked past the Google building, all I could think about was her untimely death. What a tragedy in both cases. These attacks from 2016 prove that we need to be a lot more cautious than ever. If you're a runner, be safe out there, but also keep an eye out for your fellow brother and sister runners too. We need to look out for each...

Exercising frequently and playing sports takes a toll on your body. There's always going to be soreness and injury. You really can't avoid it if you're passionate about fitness and like to push yourself hard. It happens to newbies, too. Especially when your body hasn't quite acclimated to routine training. Over the years, I've learned a lot of tricks and natural healing methods to help my muscles recover faster and get me back into the game. These are just a few... Cold & Hot Therapy - Make sure to ice areas of inflammation and swelling followed by soaking in a hot bath to relieve pain/soreness. Epsom Salt added to a hot bath is extremely soothing for your muscles. Or, any kind of high magnesium based salt. Essential oils (mixed correctly) can relax and calm tense areas. Homeopathic biomedicines like arnica, calendula and echinacea can be just as effective as over the counter pain relief pills and narcotic pain killers. And they're better for...

My newest Style Up 2 Shape Up Quarterly Box is ready to ship out! It's called SPRING 'LEAN AND DECLUTTER YOUR FIT ROUTINE and it's set to be delivered around May 20th. To tell you more about the box (tagged #MIZ11), I've decided to answer questions sent to me by Quarterly Co and Mizzfit readers. 1. What's the theme for #MIZ11?  Can you explain why you chose this? Spring is always that time where we clean out and clear away the dust and clutter in our lives. I recently cleaned out my clothes and shoe closet and ended up throwing a bunch of stuff away and donating the rest. Afterwards I felt lighter, more focused and organized. Have you ever thought about Spring cleaning your fitness routine too? I'll admit, I didn't start until the last year or two when I realized I was accumulating too much stuff. I have a chest full of fitness gear and equiptment in my apartment, and OMG, the things I found inside of it had me rolling on the ground. Like, cheesy fitness dvd's that...