For the first review in this series, I'm reviewing the SHEFIT The Flex Sports Bra™ . This was my first time trying out a SHEFIT sports bra. I've seen lots of advertising about this brand, and many of my friends have highly recommended these sports bras. They convinced me to try out the brand! Don't have time to read the full post? Watch my review on YouTube to learn more about this sports bra! Overview Brand: SHEFIT Style:   The Flex Sports Bra™ Color:  Watermelon Sorbet - This is a limited edition color, so you'll have to check the SHEFIT website for availability. Cost: $75 - I got it on sale for $45 on Cyber Monday. Most high-impact sports bras I've purchased average about $60, which may seem a bit pricy, but I think it's important to pay for good quality sports bras, especially since I wear sports bras most days - and sometimes twice a day! Support/Impact Type:  Medium-Impact - Because I wasn't paying attention, I tested this out as a high-impact sports ...

Don't have time to read this post? Watch the intro video to learn more about my sports bra review series! If you’ve been following my blog for a long time, thank you! All of my longtime subscribers know that I used to write sports bra reviews all the time. It’s been a long time since the last time I published one of these reviews, but I have been wanting to reboot my sports bra review series for a while - and for a number of reasons. I have been struggling to find the perfect sports bra for a couple of years now. After testing out and reviewing sports bras for years, I finally figured out which style and features I liked best, and I stuck to that style and brand for the years to follow. Sadly, my favorite sports bra line was purchased by Brooks, and the sports bras have never been the same for me. Why Am I Reviewing Sports Bras Again? Now, it's time to refresh my sports bra wardrobe - you can’t stay in the same sports bras forever! - so I thought, what better way to do that th...

In just a few short months, I will be running my very first marathon! I will be running the foot levelers Blue Ridge Mountain Marathon . This is affectionately called America's Toughest Road Marathon , and based on everything I've been reading about it, that is a pretty accurate assessment of this race. I have never run a marathon before, but I actually have started training for one before this one: The Marine Corps Marathon. My First Attempt at Marathon Training I originally was planning to run the Marine Corps Marathon as my first marathon ever. This was very scary and intimidating to me because they had a limit for your pace and I went through and I looked at all the different celebrities who've run races. I asked myself, " can I run faster than Oprah? Can I run faster than P Diddy? I don't know. I don't think I can run fast. I don't think I can make the time cutoff and I don't want to be picked up by the sag wagon! " Ever since I started gett...

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by NOW Foods . All opinions shared in this post and the accompanying video are my own.  When we challenge ourselves in a workout, we are asking a lot of our bodies. When the workout is complete, it’s time to thank our body, and what better way than with proper recovery?  Recovery is so important! It enables us to repair our bodies so that we can continue to reach our goals - whether that's walking your first 5k, completing a triathlon, or hiking the Appalachian Trail! I have been focusing more on my recovery routine over the last couple of months in particular because I've started to notice some tightness in specific areas that I know are due to overuse and under stretching. My hip flexors and IT band have been so angry at me for the last few weeks because I have been neglecting them. I know that, as I train for this 10-miler I have next month, I am going to have to up my recovery game, and so that's what I've been working on! Recovery...

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by NOW Foods . All opinions shared in this post and the accompanying video are my own.  As a fitness professional, I often have multiple workouts in one day - especially on days where I'm teaching group fitness classes or yoga (aka every day ending in Y!). I tend not to count the classes I teach as a workout because I'm really guiding my students through their  workouts, and will sometimes walk around and provide additional adjustments and cues (always hands-off these days!), which means I'm not working at 100% for 100% of the time! Also, have you ever tried talking the entire time you're working out? Yeah... Needless to say, I fit in two personal training sessions a week with my awesome trainer , I play volleyball, run, have my personal yoga practice, and hike (I think that covers it?). In the summer, I also tend to participate in fitness conferences, wellness events, and other activities that burn a ton of calories and require a lot...

On April 24, 2021, I attended the grand opening celebration for the Athleta store in Rockville, Maryland , located in Congressional Plaza on Rockville Pike. I had the opportunity to host a meet and greet , which was a first for me! One of my sisters and many of my friends and cycle students showed up to support me, and my heart was so full! It was such a great event, and the staff at the Athleta store were so helpful and friendly. It really felt like a community. It was also great that some of my family, friends, and students from my indoor cycling classes were able to attend the event. I'm always so humbled by the love and support I receive from the people I care about!  There were many sponsors at the event, and I finally  got the chance to try some of Crumbl Cookies ' mini cookies. They were so good that I wanted to eat the entire table's worth of those doggone cookies! Amazing! One of the event sponsors was Curious Lime , a local business specializing in embroidery and...

I have so many updates to share with you this week, but here are the first two: I got certified to teach HIIT & Flow , and  I was recently hired to teach this format as well as yoga for Flex & Flow!  I have fallen in love with teaching classes - both online and in-person - and will be adding two virtual classes to my weekly schedule starting next month. Stay tuned for updates on those classes OR sign up for my email list to stay in the loop ! Why I Love Flex & Flow I have been a huge fan of the founders of Flex & Flow for almost a decade now! They used to be known as Fit Approach (you may have known them as Sweat Pink) but made some major changes in everything they do. They have taken a strong stance on social justice issues, and have put their money where their mouth is when it comes to elevating diverse voices and fostering an inclusive community. In their own words: We have come a long way in the last 9 years, from a dream and a suitcase full of pink shoelaces to a d...

As you may have figured out by now, I'm a bit of an outdoorsy girl. I love getting outdoors, breathing in all of the fresh air, and enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer. You may have seen me out hiking, riding my bike, running, camping, or even practicing yoga, but something that I've been doing for a lifetime that you may not have known about is grounding. Recently, I went on a short hike at one of our Maryland State Parks (this was part of my 50 First Hikes adventures) and decided to take my shoes and socks off to really connect with the experience. I know that it may sound hokey, but it felt fantastic ! At one point, I placed my yoga blanket on the ground and laid down into savasana (or corpse pose). Beneath my body, it felt a bit like the Earth's heartbeat. I began to breathe deeply, closed my eyes, and just experienced this glorious moment. When I reopened my eyes, I felt a sense of calm. I said to my friend who was with me, "there has to be some science...

As a Jade Yoga Pro Ambassador, I recently received a Jade Yoga Recycled Cotton Yoga Blanket for review. All of the thoughts contained in this post are my own. If you make a purchase using one of the links below, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for your support! Recently, I received the Jade Yoga Recycled Cotton Yoga Blanket  to test out and review. Now that I'm teaching restorative yoga each week, I have become a bit of a prop queen. Yoga blankets, bolsters, blocks, and straps are my props of choice, and they really help me get deeper into my poses. Curious about how to incorporate yoga props into your yoga practice and/or recovery days? Leave a comment! I decided to test out the new Jade Yoga Recycled Cotton Yoga Blanket in a number of settings and practices so that I can provide you with a thorough review of this product.  What's The Deal with This Blanket? I received this blanket in purple, which was of course the best color I could've received since it...

I posted  this Instagram Reel a couple of weeks back, and I thought, what better way to share some of my expertise as an indoor cycling instructor than to turn this into a blog post? If you're taking an indoor cycling class (aka spin class) for the very first time, there are some basic things I think you should know before you go. I get a lot of questions from first-timers in my classes, as well as friends and family members who are interested in trying indoor cycling for the first time. Just a quick point of clarification: I am a certified indoor cycling instructor. I am not a spin instructor , as this is a trademarked program through Mad Dogg Athletics. I've been certified through Schwinn and Indoor Cycling Group (ICG). Nonetheless, people often call indoor cycling class "spin class" much like people call facial tissues Kleenex or copy machines Xerox machines. Peloton isn't too happy about the Mad Dogg trademark, but it is what it is! Keep scrolling in order...