Goldfish Kiss

10 reasons why you should do Bikram yoga (aka Hot Yoga):

1. If you have any ache or pain, it makes it magically disappear. On 2 occasions I thought I needed to have my knee scoped, after going to a few classes, buh bye knee pain. 

2. It’s great for your skin.

3. It improves circulation. Which seems to improve everything in your body.

4. You sleep better. 

5. Helps with back pain & improves your posture. Tip: Good posture makes you instantly look 5 pounds thinner, especially in a bikini.

6. You sweat a lot, which helps you detox, but feels awesome. 

7. It’s great stress relief. Calming of the “monkey mind” is quite a great ability.

8. Supposedly you burn about 800 calories in a single class. 

9. After going, you have to do laundry, so if you procrastinate in doing laundry ( like myself), it forces you to wash a load.

10. There is usually a guy in too short shorts, which, I dunno, makes me laugh.

Google Bikram yoga, find a studio nearby, and give it a try.

Photo: Christy Turlington By Michael O’Neill for Vanity Fair 

Hope you all can read my handwriting :)

Video of a dive here :)

It’s absolutely amazing when you 1: learn a new sport, 2: discover an ability you never realized you had and 3: Take a deep breath, dive in and have some 1 on 1 quality, uninterrupted time with the ocean. So to be blunt, learning to Freedive was an all around rather awesome experience.

I took a FII Level 1 Freediving course on the Big Island (officially certified now..the card is in the mail) and really, it was one of the most exhilarating, eye opening weekends I’ve had in a while.

Here’s why.

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Guest blog post for Foam

I have one dilemma when working out: no headbands stay put on my head…ever. Blame it on fine hair and an oddly shaped head, then add bangs at an awkward length and yeah, nothing works. No, tying a bandana around my head like Rambo just won’t cut it.

There’s a little trick to make one stick: shelf liners. Yup, those $2 rolls of woven grip liners that keep kitchen goods in place is also the secret ingredient for a fidget-free yoga class, the cutest messy top knot ever, or a run on the beach minus sweaty strands.

A DIY for a No Slip Workout Woven Headband

Tools: Old shirt you can cut, Grip Shelf Liner, Scissors, Needle, Sturdy Thread ( I use dental floss, it’s super strong and have it around the house)  and a Safety pin.

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Guest blog post for Foam

I tend to get bored a lot working out, so I like to get out whenever possible and mix things up. In fact, with a little bit of creativity and a resistance band, I’m convinced the world can be your gym. Especially a beach…even better if it’s before you go surf.

Here is one of my favorite workouts lately. It gets your heart poundin’, all your muscles burnin’,  and your metabolism pumpin’…

Beach interval band workout.

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Guest blog post for Foam

Greek yogurt is like the Superman of the dairy world. It’s loaded with protein (18g per 6oz serving), calcium (20% of your daily needs) and probiotics (which help your digestive system immensely), while being low in carbohydrates and sodium. It’s definitely on the grocery list each week. Thankfully, its super thick texture makes it a great base ingredient for a healthy dip, which leads to a healthy snack, which leads to us all eating, way, way more healthfully.

Somehow, snacks can either make or break your nutrition fill for the day, and that can of Pringles and queso dip can be downed in one sitting way too easily. But with any one of these dips (and suggested dippers) you’ll have a quick and easy snack that does your body some good. Lots of good.

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There once lived a girl who did the 30 grams of carbs a day diet, hour upon hour on the Stair Master, and thought that a Super Big Gulp of Diet Coke sufficed as a low calorie meal. Thankfully during her senior year of college, she met her husband to be, who was training for the NFL draft, and learned what it really took to have your body look and feel its best. To her surprise, it was quite easy: eat well, lift weights, be active, and treat your body well– it’s the only one you’ve got.

That girl was me, and I am so glad to have sort of figured things out.

So, here’s what I’ve learned:

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If your weekly workout routine has not changed in the past 4 months, or 4 years, it’s time to give your plan the old switch-a-roo. Why? All your body ever wants to do is recover and recuperate. If you are doing the exact same things week after week. Well, your body probably knows what’s up and all you are gonna reach is a plateau.

Also when you try something different or challenge your muscles in a new way, it gives you an added bonus called… motivation.

So, instead of just devoting another 20 minutes to the elliptical, or another set of crunches, try out some of these tricks to spice up your workout week.

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You would rather just workout at home, you want to be outside, or maybe you are sick of the stalker at the gym who always wants to spot you and needs to cut a wider neck on his shirt just to make room for his chest hair. Whatever the reason, here’s a fun yet challenging 36-40 minute total body workout (mainly using resistance bands) you can do at home, on the beach, in a park, or even the gym. Just name the place and bring a band.

Tools: A Resistance band, a pole, palm tree, or post to wrap it around, a stopwatch and some energy.

Now, for the workout. Click on the links for how-to’s.

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I did it. Finally. I competed in a triathlon. One “life to-do” checked off the list. 

It wasn’t a flat, ho hum one, it was called the Tri Lanai. An off road X-Terra type of one that was anything but easy. I can honestly say it was one of the hardest physical thing’s I’ve done, in one of the most beautiful places, and was really insanely rewarding.

The person who talked me into the .5 mile open ocean swim, 17 mile mountain bike (super steep & hilly), 4.2 mile run (also super hilly) was…my mom…who competed as well… and is 60. She happens to be a triathlon machine.

It was quite the day. Enjoy the pics.

Note: I must say I felt rather stylin’ thanks to my Tavik gear, Maui Girl top, Wildfox Tee, & Roxy Athletix shorts…but there is just no way to make a swim cap & goggles look cute.

Running. The easiest workout to do…besides walking. We are naturally made to do it, but people tend to make it look like it’s the most awkward, painful, unnatural thing to do on the planet. I’m not claiming to have perfect form at all (thanks to a bad hamstring injury a few years ago I kind of limp, and my husband says I don’t use my arms at all.) But, good form is key to efficiency, which equals less impact, which equals injury prevention, which by rule of logic, equals more excuses to buy bikinis.

Rule of thumb, the faster you are running, the more important your form is. Usain Bolt’s stride is as much of a perfected motion as Tiger Wood’s golf swing.

Tips for Good Running Form:

1: Relax. Try to keep your shoulders, hands, and arms as relaxed as possible (without looking like one of these guys) with a relaxed, natural stride. Key word here, relax.

2: Hands at waist, and at a 90 degree angle. No T-rex running with your arms up by your boobs. That just messes everything up.

3: Keep a good straight posture. Shoulders back, relaxed, and try not to lean forwards or backwards.

4: Swing your arms from your shoulders, moving front to back, not crossing your body. Tip: when you get tired, focus on swinging your arms harder instead of just focusing on your legs.

5: Land midfoot. Try not to run on your toes or heels, but land on the middle of your feet and roll through your toes.

6: I really just needed an excuse to post this pic.

High five.