Sweat Sessions Ambassadors share how to staying fit in the chilly winter months

As the temperatures continue to drop this beginning of 2017, we over here at the Meatpacking District are in need of a little inspo to continue to keep our bodies moving and grooving in the midst of the cold.

To gain some motivation, we asked our Sweat Sessions Ambassadors to share with us how they break through the ice and how we, too, can switch up our movement routines to stay committed to a healthy lifestyle.

SUZIE BALESON, Wellthily

@wellthily

@suziejobalesonWinter is actually one of my favorite times to stay healthy. The warm, healthy soups and roots vegetables available in cozy restaurants with twinkling lights and fireplaces make the freezing temperatures almost bearable.  

My go to for a delicious spot with healthy options right now is Bodega Negra in the Dream Hotel. Their quinoa salad is a perfect healthy and hearty winter meal in a cheerful setting.

The toughest part for me about keeping up my fitness routine in the winter is getting out of a warm bed into the cold air. I set my workout gear out the night before and plan workouts where I know I will work up a good sweat like hot yoga at Y7 or a sweat fest at Bari Studio.  I also look for events, like the ones we host at Wellthily, where I can cozy up and meditate or workout with friends on a warm rooftop. Meeting up with friends keeps me accountable!

If I don’t have time to make it to a studio (or just can’t face the cold) I will do an at home workout. My favorite at home workouts right now are the works by Karena & Katrina of Tone It Up. They have workouts of all lengths and types available. Their 12 min total body workout done twice may sounds easy, but I always end up feeling it the next day!

The coldest months in NYC are at the beginning of the year and are a time for new beginnings. At Wellthily we believe in refining resolutions and turning them into intentions. It is more about focusing on positive goals, setting a plan for a new year and manifesting positivity in your life than solving a current problem you see within yourself. We invite all of our community to join in setting positive intentions to enjoy the amazing winter the city offers us.

JAYCEE GOSSETT, Senior Instructor of The Class By Taryn Toomey

@jayceegossett

@theclassbyttKeep it Moving.

As soon as the temperature drops and it starts to get dark at 4pm, the first thing we want to do is hibernate. It is hard to stay motivated and committed to your fitness routine when it’s cold and damp outside. Netflix may seem like the answer, however what you need to be doing is dragging your butt to class. The key to staying fit throughout winter months is just to keep moving your body. I promise the more you move, the more energy you will have and the better choices you will make! If you struggle to stay active during this time, schedule social events that involve movement and get them on your calendar in advance! If you have a limited amount of time to move, The Afterburn takes 19 minutes and checks all the boxes.

• Begin with some grounding breath work and finish with restorative stretching.
• Warm up with a light jog for 5 mins, open the lungs, breathe steadily and deeply.
• Run for 1 min as fast as you can (a level 10 intensity on a scale of 1-10). At 30 seconds, you should feel like you can’t go any more, breathe deeper and push, spiking the heart rate. Remind yourself: “it’s just the change, it’s the heaviness coming OUT!” Deepen your breath and FOCUS on what you are doing.
• Recover the heart at a moderate pace for 2 mins (a level 6-7 intensity on a scale of 1-10).
• Repeat this 3-minute round 4 times total (1 min sprint, 2 min recovery).
• Jog to cool down for 5 mins.  

Get to bed early.

‘Hitting the hay’ early will make committing to your early AM workouts easier, keep your energy levels high and inspire wiser food choices throughout the day.

Find a Winter Workout Buddy.

We tend to be less social in the winter which can be isolating and depressing. Partner up with some positive friends to help make fitness fun and to hold you accountable. Commit to meeting 2x a week for a workout or commit to trying a new class or trend 3x a month. Reward yourselves after with a mani/pedi or detoxifying infrared sauna/wrap session at HigherDOSE.

Stay Positive.

The most important thing to remember is to maintain a positive and excited outlook. How you feel affects how you think and how you think affects how you act. The more you can keep your energy up and bright the more inspired you will be to take good care of yourself. Inside and out. 

SHOM CHOWDHURY & ASHLEY WILKING, Indie Fresh

@shomchowdhury

@ashleywilkingHow do you get up and move in the chilly winter months?

We start every morning with a coffee, indie grapefruit ginger cayenne and a stretch (yes, in that order). Our stretch lasts about five minutes and is a basic flow that incorporates a foam roller and yoga mat. No excuse for space as a yoga mat fits in any NYC apartment! We focus on foam rolling and opening the hamstrings and back. These are key areas of the body to loosen and warm up to prevent injury.

Indoor or do you brave the outdoors?

We mix our workouts between indoor and outdoors, although to be completely honest, we love indoor workouts when it’s really cold. A lot of indoor studios have fun lighting which makes it easier to imagine yourself elsewhere, like on a beach in Miami.

Tell us something about your fit life that district readers may not know about you?

Both Ashley and I have injuries that we need to be careful and work around. Ash has a hip injury and I have lower back issues. What most people don’t realize is that stretching is critical to good exercise practice. And it’s good to do slow, targeted movements for weak areas of your body that can be strengthened. It’s always good to talk to specialist. Ash and I workout almost everyday–sometimes more than once a day–but wouldn’t be able to do so if we neglected to pay attention to areas of our bodies that need special care. Both Ash and I train with Stephen Cheuk at S10 Training, he’s a master of this stuff.

Do your food choices change in the wintertime? How so? What are some go to staples?

Not really, we eat clean year round! We eat Indie Fresh in Chelsea Market. Our go to winter staples are the Butternut Squash, Turkey Sausage Gluten Free Pancakes & Egg, Bison Meatballs, Vegan Black Bean Burger, and House of Matcha Matcha Tea Latte.

What’s your favorite workout sans equipment?

Running. You can do it anywhere and everywhere. Bonus: Outside is free!!

LAUREN DANZIGER, Executive Director Meatpacking BID

@meatpackingny

The key for me in the winter is to make sure I schedule my workouts and put them in the calendar.  I find being structured in the winter helps set my mind to the workout in advance, whereas in the warmer months, it’s easier to go with the flow.

I am an early AM workout person (I know, cringe) so setting my alarm and keeping it on the other side of the room, means hitting snooze is much harder and getting out of the warm coziness of my bed, the only option.

A total game changer for me was buying a seriously warm puffy coat.  I know my walk to whatever class, studio or gym I am headed to in the freezing early hours of the morning is going to be so much more pleasant now, making it easier to head out the door for that sweat session.  

And of course, what’s under the coat matters too – Gone are the days of baggy sweatpants and T-shirts grabbed from the bottom of the hamper.  When I feel that I look good, I feel good, so a cute pair of leggings and a hot tank is not just my outfit, but it’s also my armor, making me ready to take on whatever torture workout I’ve signed up for that day .

For fit gear in the district, head over to Columbia, Patagonia, lululemon, Nesh NYC

To keep moving in district, check out Samsung & lululemon as they present 837 Run Club or hit up KORE, Equinox High Line, newcomer Liftonic or SoulCycle Chelsea.

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