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Sacred Sweat
Does the Pope Sweat?
It's Day One of a new papal regime. This got us to thinking: What's the Pope's daily routine, and does he go to the gym? Dawn Patrolers will recall that we also covered the daily routine of the Dalai Lama. Call it the Sacred Sweat series.
It's early to know how Pope Francis will spend his days, but we do know that he will not be running any marathons. Turns out Francis is working with only one lung, having had the other removed due to dangerous teenage infection. Outgoing Benedict wasn't much of a cardio fiend, either. He limited his daily exercise to a 10 minute walk around the Apostolic Palace, but he also kept a strict and healthy schedule: Up at 5AM after six hours of sleep, a Mediterannean diet, sans alcohol, and plenty of prayer.
The public record suggests that fitness, in the conventional sense, has not been a major preoccupation of the Vatican. True, Pope Pius XII, a controversial pontiff who presided over Catholicism during World War II, used a rowing machine in his youth. By the time he was Pope, however, Pius' routine was strictly 15 minutes of "knee bends and arm flexes" timed with a gold Swiss watch.
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Om Shaqi
Shaq vs. Yoga
Yoga isn't just for white girls anymore! Shaquille O'Neal, superstar NBA center, moved to Cleveland recently, and, not having anything better to do, he's taken up yoga. "He's got some tight hamstrings," said his teacher Tami Schneider to the A.P. "He came in just like a regular guy. He was alone, which was nice, and he seemed to feel right at home at the studio. He fit right in." Well, let's just say he "fit right in" as well as any 7'1", 325 pound NBA superstar. Apparently, Shaq's practice requires two mats, placed end-to-end. I don't imagine anyone bitched about him taking up too much space — or that Tami got very far "adjusting" him. (Fun game: Imagine Shaq in various yoga poses. Or doing pranayama breathing.) Give it up for the big man for having an open mind! Not only has he tried yoga, but he spent the summer filming Shaq Vs. in which he competes with stars of other sports: "He traded punches with Oscar De La Hoya, intercepted Ben Roethlisberger passes and even swam against Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps." All I can say is that Ray Kelly could learn a thing or two from O'Neal.
Funny Fitness
Funniest Exercise Videos Ever
Like when crazy old ladies wear neon bike shorts under leotards, sometimes you just have to point and laugh at people. But it's way more polite to do it at home on your computer, that way no one's feelings are hurt. Here, a handful of exercise videos that make me point at the screen and howl:
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Online & Video
juice help!
so i don't like tomato juice but want to do the juice fast....any ideas on recipes/what to drink? i am terrible at these sort of things. sigh.
Equinox Responds to Global Crisis
Harvey Spevak is the CEO of Equinox. As the world's economies have collided like so many cars caught in a chain-reaction accident on the Interstate, Mr. Spevak rushed in as if he were an auto-body mechanic caught on the scene. "We are in a unique position to help our members maximize life," he wrote shortly after Lehman Brothers and AIG had crashed and burned. "Our members and prospective members are counting on us more than ever to provide community and support and help them de-stress and maintain a healthy life." True dat: as the Dow has plummeted, gym traffic has, in fact, spiked. Spevak's challenge as businessman and self-appointed Global Life Coach is to keep 'em coming back (for their sake!) And so, in a separate mailing, came the Equinox Crisis Response Plan, dubbed "Mind over Madness."
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Ruby Streak is a beautiful space
Ruby Streak Trapeze Studio, Brooklyn, NY: http://www.natalieagee.com/rubystreak/index.html
ha! awesome! we all need juggling lessons!
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Health Clubbing
Think polished concrete floors, and raw metal railings, and decadent, fur-covered ottomans: Equinox MePa is as close to night club as a gym can get. And that's not necessarily a bad thing...
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
Place Review
True Pilates
True Pilates is the Mecca or Bethlehem or Varanasi of Pilates. (Take your pick.) It's a modest studio on 57th Street off Fifth, but all the famous instructors across the country, from Brooke Siler to Mari Winsor, have made the pilgrimmage. They come to work with Romana Kryzanowska, the only living protege of Joseph Pilates.
New York
Free Yoga
TeleYoga Wants You and Your Friends to Do All the Minutes of Yoga You Can Muster
In a mere week, the Million Minute Month begins! To cheer us all along, we've gathered powerful forces for good in the form of Spirit Guides. Today, a big welcome to Spirit Guide Christine Miller, Founder of TeleYoga, whose sweaty minute encouragement begins...now. On the line: A free private TeleYoga session. All you have to do is rally a few friends as fellow challengers. Here's how it works:
More..._0.big center.jpg "Christine! photo by David Pexton")
Practical Eating
Skyr Vs. Fage: Yogurt Deathmatch
All yogurts are not created equal. Some are champion snacks or even meals, and others are sugar-soaked goop. One serving of my childhood favorite, Western Family lowfat blueberry yogurt, contains 44g of sugar, versus 9g in an equally if not more delicious serving of Total Fage. So no more Western Family for me. Which brings us to the topic at hand: yogurts' nutritional content, specifically high-end, thick-style yogurts.
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Feats of Summer Accompli
Vidi, Vini, Sushi!
The Feats of Summer came to an official end last night with a cathartic (at least for me) yoga class, followed by a banquet of sushi and local, organic beer at The Fierce Club. Many veterans of recent Social Workout challenges showed up, along some new faces (primed for the arrival of Eat.Sweat.Blog.). Somewhere after my third or fourth local, organic beer, we gathered for the Official Award Ceremony. The F.O.S. was epic, of course — our longest challenge, and the first to include feats. Over three months, challengers logged 2034 workouts, 500-plus feats, and managed to file countless other blog entries and comments. When the smoke cleared after Labor Day, we had a 44% participation rate in terms of workouts. BUT, of nearly 200 challengers who started in June, only 13 completed the Challenge with at least 50 workouts and 20 feats. Very loud applause, please, for everyone, and especially for the finishers. And then a drum roll. Because of those 13, we had to select six to win our Shockingly Nice prizes. Without further ado, then, the prize winners of the Social Workout Feats of Summer Challenge....
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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...
Boot Camps
Stacy's Boot Camp
I am not a soldier, I don’t ever want to join anyone’s platoon, and Jillian Michaels makes me shiver. When you say boot camp, I think: Please, no. But boot camps are hot, and someone has to check these things out. So, I went to Stacy’s Bootcamp. And it was awesome.
Stacy offers three-week camps all around the city, all throughout the year. So there’s always one coming up. (Just FYI....) She teaches about 15 of the sessions herself. Trainer Mauricio Genore teaches most of the rest. I spent mornings with each of them, one session in Battery Park and another in Central Park at Bethesda Fountain. They were equally awesome. Both Stacy and Mauricio are the sort of people you actually want to wake up and start your day with. Not too perky, but very awake and in control.
There’s no yelling at Stacy’s Bootcamp. I had nightmare visions of Drill Sergeants’ with whistles. Nope. Stacy is all about straightforward, positive, though killer, encouragement to squat deeper, lift higher, and run faster. This sounds weird, but I felt a little like I was in The Horse Whisperer (with me as the horse, Stacy as Robert Redford). Stacy whispered what to do, and even though it was 6:30 in the morning and I was cold and grouchy, I did it, and it felt...majestic. That sounds over the top, but there's definitely an epic feeling that comes with pushing yourself.
New York
Summarizer
March Shape: De-jiggle, Sculpt, Beat and Flatten
Self arrived yesterday. Shape showed up today...Pink bikini with gold chainmail accents. Introducing Shape Bride, on newsstands now! If you cook all your meals at home, you'll save $75 a week and lose ten pounds. If you want to sleep better, use a sinus rinse. If you want to be fit, move to Palm Desert. Eating salsa from a bowl at a party is like kissing everyone in the room. AnnaLynne McCord checks out fitness DVDs from the library. Jennifer Garner wears sunscreen. Padma Lakshmi wears $48 tank tops. Nancy Odelle eats GoGurt. Bethany Frankel drinks clear liquors. Kristin Bell, Kelly Rowland, Jewel, Mya, Jennifer Connelly, Julia Roberts, Sharon Stone, Valeri Bertinelli, and about a dozen other women have the sexiest bodies in Hollywood. If you eat popcorn at the movies, it'll take 87 minutes of spinning to make up for it. De-jiggle your upper arms with single arm presses. Swim your way slim with underwater squat kicks. Bikini Body countdown starts...now. Don't forget to torch some calories with cardio.
My Body
Kelly Morris on Drugs, Yoga, George Soros, and Long Term Happiness
Kelly Morris, one of the only five Senior Jivamukti teachers in the world, has a devoted following of hungry yogis eager to hear her urban-Buddhist-badass take on the world. In the middle of a calling out a pose, she’ll suddenly scream wildly about self-obsession and pimples and Facebook and meditation—all without blinking an eye. A former Sarah Lawrence gal turned spiritual warrior, she’s a blonde bombshell with a gravely baritone who swears and eats bacon and has a tattoo behind her left ear. Sort of like Buddha Barbie meets G.I. Jane....
A long time ago I was dating a hedge fund guy in L.A. who invited me to come to his yoga class. I kept resisting, but finally I went and loved it. I said, that’s what I’m going to do, and I came back to NY and went to Jivamukti, and within two minutes of walking in I knew that’s where I needed to be. I was in graduate school for sculpture, but I applied for teacher training, and then I dropped out of grad school. I was excommunicated from my family. My dad came over and thought I was in a cult. There were sculptures everywhere —Shiva and Ganesh — and paintings and incense and candles, and Krishna Das was playing. I was probably wearing a bindi. My family was concerned! I had been through so many transformations, and they were gearing up for another one. I was all over the place, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. They were worried about me. I was 27 or 28.
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Pay to Not Play
CVS Employee Wellness Screening: Fair or Foul?
Starting May 1st, reports the Boston Herald, CVS Caremark Corps will require all employees on its health insurance plan to submit to regular wellness screenings. Should they opt out of the screening, employees are subject to a fine of $50 per month, or $600 per year.
CVS' policy is just the latest in a series of increasinglly aggressive and controversial attempts by companies to reign in their health care costs. CVS aims to "incent our colleagues to improve their health care and manage health costs," but the move is seen by some as an invasive and punitive policy that could lead to discrimination against unhealthy or disabled workers.
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