Charity D.
Member Of...
I Heart These...
- Beata Dziemianczyk-Lodziato
- Prana Power Yoga
- Brooklyn Boulders
- Crunch: Super Slim Down - Ellen Barrett
- Area Yoga
- The Fierce Club
- Body Elite Health and Fitness Center
- Equinox - Brooklyn Heights
- David Barton Gym -- Chelsea
- Asphalt Green
- Dominic Venton
- Yoga Booty Ballet - Heather
- Red Carpet Ready
- Mala Yoga
Feats Completed
- The Feralicious Challenge:
- 4.) Cardio, Unplugged
- 2.) Eat Wild
- D.I.Y. Feral!
See all feats for The Feralicious Challenge- The Love Challenge:
- Love Body
- Love Belly
- Love Soul
- Love Mind
- See all feats for The Love Challenge
- Social Workout Challenge: New Years Edition:
- Whole Grainy
- Swap Meat
- Home Food
- Pimp Your Bed
- Go Fish
- D.I.Y. Feat
- See all feats for Social Workout Challenge: New Years Edition
- Eat. Sweat. Blog.:
- Caffeine free
- See all feats for Eat. Sweat. Blog.
- Other Feats:
- Cartwheel
- Alt.Healthy.Fast
- Wheel Pose
- Group Fitness Class Sampler
- Sing
- See all feats
Retreats
New Years in Costa Rica with Kula Yoga
- Who: The Kula Yoga Project with instructors Jillian Tureckin and Oceana Baity
- What: Skip New Year's in the city and spend a week on the beach in Costa Rica, with two-a-day vinyasa yoga classes, lots of beach time, and hikes in the jungle. Kula is known for their advanced classes, but don't be intimidated if you're more of a beginner — Jillian teaches Kula's absolute beginner courses.
- When: December 27, 2010 - January 3, 2011
- Where: Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula
Scientific
Another FDA-Approved Diet Bites The Dust
In 1997, the FDA approved a daily appetite suppressant pill called Meridia. Unfortunately, a new study of nearly 10,000 people taking the pills found that the medication increased risk of nonfatal heart attacks by 28 percent and nonfatal strokes by 36 percent compared to a placebo. Granted, these were individuals already at high risk for cardiovascular trouble, but those numbers are still pretty bad. The editors of the New England Journal of Medicine, which published the study, are calling for Meridia to be pulled from the market. Just one more reason I won't be the first one signing up for the new get-you-out-of-your-chair pill.
Noon Stretch
This Is Good For Me
"Back to boot camp after missing the last two sessions. It was hard. I'm still not up to snuff physically, but it felt absolutely right. Halfway into the second warm-up lap I got that running smile and realized that walking just is not enough for me." — sadie, today, 10:01 A.M.
Scientific
Up Next, Drugs That Make Your Chair Painful
How much "voluntary activity" you engage in is a highly heritable trait, says new research. In other words, if you like to exercise, thank your genes. If you hate it, curse your genes. In the latest study on the topic, scientists bred thousands of rats to prove that engagement in recreational running was a trait offspring inherited from their parents. Not a huge shocker. But what's interesting is the leap the researchers then made. In the words of the study's lead author: "Down the road people could be treated pharmacologically for low activity levels through drugs that targeted specific genes that promote activity. Pharmacological interventions in the future could make it more pleasurable for people to engage in voluntary exercise." Okay, okay, I'm maybe on board. But then he goes on. "Such interventions could also make it less comfortable for people to sit still for long periods of time." Woah, drugs that make it uncomfortable to sit?! Maybe we start with less comfortable chairs before we go all Brave New World on ourselves.
Dance Dance Revolution
Everyone In China Is Doing Dance No. 8
Earlier this month we highlighted the resumption of mandatory worker stretch breaks in China. (Redux: Kind of cool, kind of propagandist and weird; either way, there's a funky Chinese calisthenics video worth checking out). Now, the L.A. Times is out with a more detailed report. Apparently, the Chinese government is teaching everyone to do the exact same dance routine. So far this year, 5,000 instructors have visited offices and stores around the country to teach people "Dance Routine No. 8." It's like Mambo No. 5, but way less catchy. Dance Routine No. 1 was born in 1951, and the government only updates the choreography every five to ten years. So get ready, China. You're going to be doing Dance Routine No. 8 for a while...
Scientific
Why Your Mom May Rain On Your Fitness Parade
Turns out, people over 55 just love it when young people f**k up. In a recent study, a group of adults between 55 and 60 were unleashed on an online news magazine and told to read whatever articles they found most interesting. They gravitated toward negative stories about young people. And here's the clincher: After doing so, they reported big boosts in their self-esteem. Granted, rooting for the downfall of young people in the newspaper is different from being a negative cheerleader for young people you actually know and love. Your mother is probably very supportive. But just saying, maybe she bakes you all those cookies because she loves you, or maybe they're actually laced with evil.
Celebrity Fitness, Gaga Yoga, Lady Gaga
How Lady Gaga Does Yoga
"Gaga just walked into my yoga studio. She comes in with a huge bodyguard. Strips down to her bra and panties in the locker room TWO FEET away from me, and then disappears into a blocked off studio for a private lesson. So crazy. Then ... After class she is chillin', still in only bra/panties in the lounge area. So perfect. Only Lady Gaga does that."
— alleged Facebook posting from a woman who allegedly works at a yoga studio in Minneapolis where Lady Gaga allegedly did some yoga while on tour yesterday.
Scientific
Should You Stretch Before You Run?
Yes, said my high school track coach. It'll help prevent injuries. No, said my dad. It'll actually lead to more injuries. So who's right? Turns out, no one (as unsatisfying as that is). USA Track and Field has just published the results of an extensive new study of almost 1,400 runners ages 13 to 60 assigned to either stretch before running or not stretch before running for a three-month period. Bottom line: Stretching didn't matter. Regardless of which group they were in, the stretchers or the non-stretchers, runners sustained injuries at about exactly the same rate. No higher, no lower. So stretching before doesn't cause injuries and it doesn't prevent injuries. So do it if you like it, and skip it if you don't. Now, stretching after exercise, that's a whole nother story... (via NYTimes)
Noon Stretch
Week Six, Begun!
"I haven't run (really) in over a week now. I feel so out of shape and lazy. But today when the cat woke me up at 6 I put on my shoes and I went....I'm on track again, hopefully I'll stay that way. I have my 5K in 25 days!!" — kophelia, today, 11:12 A.M.
Feats
The World's First Wheelchair Double Backflip
18-year-old Aaron Fotheringham, born with Spina Bifida, landed the world's first wheelchair double backflip last week. And caught it on film. 'Nuff said.
(via Outside)
- 1 of 178
- ››
Workout
Glee + Guthy-Renker = Such a Happy Night
Oliver recently turned the SW office on to "Glee." "It's the voices of neurotic New York 30-something writers coming from the mouths of high school students, plus show tunes sensibility!" he crowed. Katie just confessed to watching it last night while sweatily building Ikea furniture. I confessed to having performed the following double laptop, Hulu + infomercial Pilates act twice already this week. Which maybe makes me a neurotic New Yorker. But I heartily recommend the workout anyway:
Class(es) Taken:
Mari Winsor Pilates - Mari Winsor
Place:
Home
Date:
Wed, 06/09/2010 (All day)
Workout
yoga podcast
YTTP, Greg's living room. I'm so glad I got him that nice yoga mat so I can use it. :)
Workout
If moving all your worldly possessions from one apartment to another and up four flights of stairs doesn't count as a workout...
...Jelly legs, jelly arms. Exhaustion, and massive calorie refueling
- 1 of 6
- ››
New Year's Edition Prizes
Double Your Pleasure With Pilates Duets
SoHo office buildings are fascinating. Social Workout HQ is located on the 12th floor of one such building, and our neighbors in the warrens of halls include design firms, PR companies, modeling agencies, and who-knows-what-they-do businesses with intriguing names like Gigantic, Inc. And that's just on our floor. Down on the 9th floor, around a few bends in the maze, is a Pilates studio called Mongoose Bodyworks. One lucky New Year's Edition Challenge completer will be winning a free private session at MB, and to preview the prize, Katie and I went downstairs last Friday for a Pilates duet session.
New York
Oh, and du.et is cool;)
" More comments...Pole Dancing
Sheila Kelley Loves Your Ass
The room is dark. Just faux-candles along the walls and a few dim lamps with red bulbs. So dark you can't see faces. But it's not like David Barton sexy yoga where dim lights are your cue to secretly check out all your classmates in the mirror. Because there are no mirrors here. The two-hour class starts with each woman introducing herself and saying a few words about her fears and why she's here. Very 70s women's collective. "This is a safe space," one of the two instructor even says. And then we all take our hair down. More than the lights, more than the friendly chat, even more than the poles, after a decade of fitness class ponytails, the feeling of hair on your shoulders feels the strangest.
I'm at Sheila Kelley's S Factor. And by now, Pole Dancing classes are basically old hat. They're so common, in fact, that the Social Workout feats committee added pole dancing to the Emergency Holiday Challenge. But I've never taken one. Not just because I haven't gotten around to it. Because I have very clear (and negative) opinions about strip clubs. I'm not one of those silly people who thinks it's empowering to dress like a slut on Halloween, so why would I think it's empowering to act like a stripper at the gym? But by the end of the class, my feminist heart was pounding with pride.
New York
congratulations Charity, it's always nice to shed a preconceived ..." More comments...
DVD Reviews
The Uncanny Effect of Exhale's Core Fusion Body Sculpt
Most fitness DVDs imitate the group exercise experience. There's a teacher and students, and you're just another class member, except you're in your living room. But not the Exhale Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD. This DVD has no teacher. Or rather, it has two teachers, Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito, the co-founders of Exhale's Core Fusion program, but neither of them talk onscreen. Each takes a turn giving disembodied, off-screen voiceover directions while onscreen their bodies silently carry out the commands. It's like eerie puppet theater. You'd think it might help that their own voices are bossing their bodies around, but the division-of-the-self effect actually makes it weirder. I'm not sure what the DVD's producers hoped to accomplish with this "innovation," but I really hope this isn't the start of a fitness DVD voiceover trend.
Online & Video
Dance Studios
Downtown Dance at DNA
In midtown dance studios you get Broadway stars all made up and ready to rumble, but the vibe at Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), on Chambers Street, is decidedly more downtown chic and international, thanks in part to a visa program for developing artists. If you're a dancer in the city, you probably already know all about it. If you're a "hobbyist," you should find out more immediately.
There are a handful of studios at DNA, all holding classes simultaneously, and walking down the hallway, looking through the glass walls at all the beautiful bodies, can make you giddy. Oliver Steele's Advanced Contemporary Modern class at Dance New Amsterdam (DNA) this morning featured smooth choreography to "I'm on a Boat, Bitch." They play around at DNA. "It's just more of an open atmosphere," said my guide for the day, Social Workout Dancer and Pilates teacher-in-training, thriviver. That's why even though it's less commercially focused than Broadway Dancer Center and less posh than Steps, it attracts the same star teachers. Case in point: Oliver and his wife Terri, who also teaches at DNA.
New York
Mainstreaming Yoga
YogaWorks Soho: Fish or Fowl?
YogaWorks Soho, which opened this summer, is a "yoga gym," or perhaps a gymlike yoga studio. Or something. It's a members-only studio. Meaning, like a gym, you pay a monthly fee ($110) and you can come as much as you want. And it's huge: You've got two floors, three studios, a shop area, little rest stations where you can check your email, and a proper locker room with showers, towels, and a sauna. Back in September Augustina Groop wrote about the gorgeous bamboo floors and all the well-chosen amenities. I couldn't agree more. Lovely.
But, true confession: It all left me feeling cold....
it's cool. this site needs an anti-yogi, might as well be me ;)
" More comments...Yoga Classes
Night Club Yoga at David Barton Gym
Most yoga studios talk about well-being, peace, or creativity. Not David Barton. For their yoga, they promise "A huge increase in sexual energy." Having only been once, I can't verify that sweeping claim. But I can verify that Liquid Yoga, their fast-paced vinyasa class, is a total turn-on. A few of the contributing factors:
New York
I've currently maxed out on my sales pitch quota, but I'd like to ..." More comments...
Gyms
Biggest, Most Deluxe, Most Empty Gym in New York
24 Hour Fitness is the largest gym club in the world, with millions of locations, BUT only four top level, all-the-bells-and-whistls "Ultra Sports Clubs." Turns out one of these opened three weeks ago about two feet from Social Workout headquarters. And we hardly noticed. Really. It's difficult to hide a 100,000-plus square foot gym, but the Derek Jeter 24 Hour Fitness hit Soho with all the fury of a Radio Shack. No doubt some of its impact has been lost inside the cultural apocolypse that is the Hollister store. Still. I stopped by to investigate this morning at 8 A.M. and found row after row of pristine new cardio machines, each with its own TV. A huge weight-room floor. Big windows. Lots of light. No people. Think Neutron bomb.
OK, four people, including Calvin Stevens, who was teaching circuit training bootcamp. Calvin, I must say, rocks: High-energy, charming, and he sang along to Beyonce while cajoling me into lunging and jumping faster. "I like it, but I don't love it!" he'd yell when our pace lagged. All that energy for three of us.
If you're looking for a high end gym, massively uncrowded, in Soho, for just $69 a month, I've got a tip for you.... And I mean nice. The locker room is not ridiculous like David Barton, but fully functional with razors and spray deodorant. And you don't have to bring your own lock (such a hassle) because the lockers are those cool ones with the built-in, programmable key pad. $69 a month is about $80 a month less than the Equinox down the block. And that gets you access to all the other 24 Fitnesses on the planet. Of course, it might be a little loney, but there are trade offs. Naturally, they're giving away free seven day passes.
New York
Pilates Studios
More Pilates: Reformer Classes on the Cheap
Gramercy Pilates Fitness just opened a few months ago, with two distinct virtes: 1.) That new studio smell. 2.) Underpopulated classes. I signed up for a four-person Reformer class, and found myself the sole attendee. At $25, the four-person class is one of the best deals in town. But $25 for a private session? Total steal. If you're looking for Reformer time, supervised by very solid dancer-teachers in a very Grammery-infused wood and brick studio, without too many other people around (and the ones that are are the sort you want to be when you're 50), definitely check it out.
New York
Yoga Studios
Laughing Lotus Is A Sparkly Pink Yoga Palace
Laughing Lotus is one of the city's major teaching studios, and you can feel it. The vibe is friendly, but also a little clubby. As if half the people know each other. Cause, actually, they do. It's also a bit more girlie than other studios.
New York
Magic Pulleys
Pilates Reforming at the Right Price
A session with a Pilates Reformer machine will run you about $100 at most studios. Yesterday, I went for the first time. For free. Pilates Reforming New York offers free introductory sessions, (thanks Gotigers2003 for clueing us in). So, is the reformer really all that? Answer: Yes.
New York
- 1 of 5
- ››
We're so glad you're back!!
Posted in response to: I AM NOT, IN FACT, DEAD.
Congratulations! Awesome!
Posted in response to: My Longest. Run. Ever.
love it. Sounds so fun!
Posted in response to: Singing and Dancing
So glad to have you on the site! And, ah, I know those two voices well. Hopefully SW can help amp up the happier healthier voice. Hard, but worth fighting. Thanks for posting :)
Posted in response to: struggle
:)
Posted in response to: The French Flout Barefoot Running With World's Cushiest Shoe
Interesting snippet from the study for gay guys:"When males were asked to rate the attractiveness of a pictured male, color made no difference in their responses." So rocking black isn't holding you back :)
Posted in response to: What To Wear For Your Hot Gym Pickup
A note on mega overdoses. From the Times piece: "Healthy adults have taken 10,000 I.U. a day for six months or longer with no adverse effects. People with a serious vitamin D deficiency are often prescribed weekly doses of 50,000 units until the problem is corrected."
Posted in response to: The Vitamin D Situation Is Worse Than We Thought
You can grow them yourself, try to track them down at the farmer's market, or track down juice or extracts at health food stores. There are some interesting online markets too -- RussianFoodDirect.com sells chokeberry preserves...
Posted in response to: Chokeberries May Help Regulate Weight, Blood Sugar, and Cholesterol
Oh, so wonderful! Congratulations! And it's so great to have you back!
Posted in response to: Reborn
Ah, so glad to hear it!
Posted in response to: A Week of Yoga in Goa
Very exciting about the job! Congratulations!!
Posted in response to: good news and stumbling through the week
nice!
Posted in response to: birthday miler
We're open! Either works.
Posted in response to: There's No Way USA Today is Cooler Than Social Workout
Ed note: I made a mistake in editing Aarona's post and got the order of brushing and showering wrong! She agrees with y'all: brush, then shower. Sorry about that.
Posted in response to: Have You Brushed Your Skin Today?
I'm stealing the "swimming whenever I feel like it, flea markets, and popsicles" mantra. Love it.
Posted in response to: Funk Over. Happy = very yes.
ha ha! Love it!
Posted in response to: it must be sign from the MMM gods
This just in courtesy of The Beer Runner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtWcb0bcA-A
Posted in response to: What's the Most Ridiculous Breech of Yoga Etiquette?
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Such exciting news. I'm sure Oliver will have plenty to say on this matter shortly...:)
Posted in response to: Oliver, I demand child support!
Oh! I'm so glad you're back! I really was worried! Awesome photos. And so glad to hear you've got an exciting European trip coming up!!
Posted in response to: 2 WEEKS: A PHOTO ESSAY
oh, that's so interesting! Good luck with the surgery. Looking forward to hearing the reports of big deep breaths afterward :)
Posted in response to: I can barely breathe.....hooray!
- 1 of 12
- ››
on 1 week 3 days ago by Charity D.