Movement for Change @KaisaFit + @Lululemon

Seattle-based fitness coach and all-around dope chick KaisaFit is my eternal fitness bae. Not only does she inspire hundreds of thousands of people each day with her message of positivity and focus on "just moving", but she also has a heart for giving back. She's a woman who talks the talk, and walks the walk (or in most cases does a dope ass leap)... always putting action behind her words.

Tomorrow morning (9/30 @ 10a) Kaisa will be leading an amazing workout that is geared to ALL levels at the UW Husky Stadium. The icing on the cake? 100% of proceeds will go toward Stolen Youth, a Seattle-based non-profit.

This will be my 4th or 5th workout with Kaisa and every time she's been amazing. She embodies such a positive, vibrant energy and passion for fitness and health.

On top of that, she caters to ALL LEVELS, so if you're feeling intimidated by her sickening skills on Instagram don't fret. She always shows a few variations of each moment and truly is a coach that meets you where you are.

I'll be out there tomorrow, so if you see me come say hi! Or maybe give me a hug if I look like struggle bus city lol... My activity level has been a tad bit low this month with the move from Cap Hill to West Seattle. I'm looking forward to sweating with everyone and raising money for a great cause.

Suggested donation for the event is $15. Click here to register.

Seattle @Lululemon Launch of Fast & Free Collection #TheSweatLife

When I was contacted by Lululemon to participate in the Seattle launch of their Fast & Free Collection I was dumbfounded! Everyone knows the brand is luxurious and the créme de la créme of athletic wear, so the idea that I could be included in the launch was beyond exciting.

I was told I'd be picking out a pair of their new Fast & Free Collection pants, featuring the innovative "naked sensation" Nulux fabric. This lightweight, quick drying material was designed to offer a barely there feel so you can focus on your workout and not the discomfort of your athletic wear.

Fast & Free Collection

This was my first time in a Lululemon store (ever), so I was happy to receive such a warm welcome. Sometimes it can be intimidating walking into a high end store, but the ladies were so friendly... before knowing I was one of the bloggers participating in their event. This helped me feel comfortable and get excited for the process of picking out my new tights!

The pants come in 2 styles -- the Free 7/8 Tight and the Fast & Free Crop 19". Since I'm 5'2" I opted for the crop style which ended up hitting around my calf. I felt like the 7/8 Tight would've been a bit long on me and I prefer to workout in crop length gear.

This was my first experience with the brand, so I wasn't familiar with their sizing. I usually range between a 10/12, so it was nice to see similar sizing in their pants. If you're new to the brand and unsure of what size you should choose, click here for their sizing guide. I chose a size 12 (XL) in the Fast & Free Crop 19" in black.

Next it was time to put the pants to the test! We gathered at Orange Theory Fitness in Lower Queen Anne for their signature 60-min bootcamp. I'm a huge fan of bootcamps, but this was my first time at Orange Theory. Again, no clue what to expect but suffice it to say after an hour and some change I walked away with my mind blown! Amazing workout with a mix of water rowing machines, treadmills for cardio and free weights. Seriously in love with the format and looking forward to going again.

So, how'd the pants perform? I joked with my boyfriend on the Lyft ride to Orange Theory that I'd forgotten I was wearing them. Corny? Yes... but very true. The nulux fabric is SO freaking soft and felt like it became one with my skin. I've never really invested in great workout clothes, so I was actually able to tell the difference in feel and performance of the pants compared to what I typically wear. During the workout I didn't have to fidget with my pants. They have a higher waist (with a drawstring) and stayed in place the entire time. Between sitting up and down on the rower, sprinting on a treadmill and using free weights, the pants were "one with my body" and lived up to the hype of feeling "nearly naked".

Seattle Ladies in our Fast & Free Collection Pants #TheSweatLife #iSEAnulux 

Though I was gifted a pair of pants for free, the price wasn't lost on me. They cost $118 real, American dollars and that made my jaw drop! Like, sis... hold up! These athletic pants are the same price as my Banana Republic Jeans. It was like rocking the Bentley of workout pants during that class. However, I will say, I felt the difference between rocking cheap pants for a workout and these luxurious ones. I've also heard great things about Lululemon's customer service, their ability to tailor pant length in the store, and return policy. Also -- these pants felt extremely durable and I'll be putting them to the test over the course of my spring workouts and blogging about how they last. If we look at this from the stand point of a price/wear value... I'm sure they'd end up being a solid investment.

Do you need $118 pants to workout? No... but if you have the money to invest in some amazing feeling and performing pants would I recommend these? Hell yes!

For more information on the Fast & Free Collection click here.

Yoga + Trap Music Trap Vinyasa in Cap Hill 3/10

The time has finally come! The next Yoga by Biola Trap Vinyasa class will happen on Friday, March 10th at Rival Fitness in Cap Hill!

As a longtime member of Rival Fitness, I was thrilled to make the introduction between studio owner Jim Mahan and Biola. It was peak Black Excellence being able to bring together 2 dope, locally owned, BLACK brands.

Even though the event takes place in March (once Black History Month is over), it's a nod to the beauty of bringing together #BlackGirlMagic and #BlackBoyJoy to create something pretty awesome.

Tickets are dwindling for the event, so click here to grab yours now!

Core Workshop w/ @KaisaFit #JustMove

Kaisa Keranen (known simply as @KaisaFit online) is a Seattle-based fitness pro spreading the benefits of daily movement to her 300k+ followers. What first attracted me to Kaisa was how much power, energy and creativity she displayed in her Instagram fitness posts.

After meeting her in person, and having the pleasure of taking one of her FitBit Seattle classes as Zum Fitness, I was enamored with just how beautiful of a spirit she has in real life!

Kaisa not only has an enviable physique which promotes strong being beautiful, but when she jumps it's like she's weightless! The height she gets and her ability to seemingly have non-stop energy is really a source of motivation when you're taking her class.

There are so many "fitness chicks" on IG, many of whom seem to have gotten some surgery and are just half assing their way through workouts... or just pushing flat tummy tea lol... it's refreshing to have examples like Kaisa who are truly living a healthy lifestyle, encouraging people to achieve their fitness goals in a practical way (Daily Movement), and who promote body positivity. Kaisa is basically my Fitness Bae and someone you should know, especially if you're in Seattle.

This Saturday she'll be partnering with her mother Monique to teach a Core Workshop at Zum Fitness! This women's only workshop will be broken into 2 parts -- the first an hour long workout with Kaisa, followed by an hour-long discussion with her mother.

"One thing my mom and I often discuss is the concept of our core and what it means to be truly strong and grounded in who we are as human beings. We all know what our physical (external) core is but our internal core, the element that truly makes us who we are, is often neglected. Over the years my mom has taught me the importance of getting in touch with what lies underneath my skin and what it takes to be truly strong, bold and fearless in who I am as woman. Working on my internal core is a daily process but one that is often made easier with the support of my mother. She is truly the reason I am who I am today and I couldn't be more excited to have her come and share with you all."

This event has a suggested donation of $20. For tickets and more information click here.

A photo posted by Kaisa Keranen (@kaisafit) on Jan 5, 2017 at 9:58am PST

Images via FitBit Local and Shape

Seattle Twerkshop 1/20 The Boss Chick Dance Workout

Back in October a girlfriend gifted me a last minute ticket to a Seattle Twerkshop. Though I love to dance and am quite the dancing queen, I was on the fence about going to a Twerkshop... in Seattle.. and what that would actually be like. I was iffy on the flyer, didn't see much information online, but was down to be the guinea pig and see what the class had in store. Fast forward 90 mins later and I had experienced the most body positive, genuinely FUN, dance fitness class ever!

Created by classically trained dancer Simone Sobers, The Boss Chick Dance Workout is a "hardcore, hip hop, dancehall, reggaeton workout designed exclusively for women to feel sexy and get fit at the same time." What I enjoyed most about the class was coming together with women of all shapes, sizes, racial backgrounds and dance levels... getting in an intense, yet FUN workout, and burning an insane amount of calories. I think I topped out around 800-900 calories burned... it was epic and amazing.

The class includes a mix of twerk drills, twerk techniques, twerk cardio routines, floor work, isolations and a short choreo routine to end the class! Below is a video I took of the final choreo we did to close out the class back in October!




What: Seattle Twerkshop (Women Only)
When: Friday, January 20th
Time: 7p to 830p
Where: Mitchell Activity Center @ Seattle Central Community College (1718 Broadway)
Tickets: $24 in advance and $30 at the door (click here for tickets)

Note: There are no refunds, but you can transfer your ticket to someone else 

Culturally Expressive Yoga #TrapVinyasa (via @YogabyBiola)

Inhale. Exhale. Throw that ass in a circle? There's something beautiful about combining the ancient practice of yoga with the modern influences of trap music that makes my little ratchet heart soar. What makes it even better is having an insanely dope black woman lead the movement and change the typical face of yoga in media.

The brainchild of Seattle yogi Biola Akanni (pronounced bee-AHH-luh), these new classes are aimed at "liberating your mind and body through culturally expressive yoga rooted in yogic philosophy infused with creative movement and music."

Through her business, Yoga by Biola, she's currently offering 3 Culturally Expressive Yoga classes: Zen Tea Gentle, Trap Vinyasa, and Divine Feminine Hatha. In addition to these classes, she also teaches more traditional yoga classes at 8 Limbs in West Seattle and Zum Fitness downtown Seattle.

Y'all know I have minimal chill when it comes to discovering dope women of color doing stuff in Seattle, so I was thrilled to connect with Biola last week for drinks and chit chat. Her spirit is such a beautiful balance of peaceful/zen yogi and quirky black girl magic -- consider her your guide in vibe alignment with a turnt twist! A perk of living in Seattle is having access to so many unique small business owners. I personally find it very rewarding genuinely support women of color and other small business owners in my everyday life.

I've always found regular (non-heated) yoga to be a bit boring... mainly because my mind wanders and I always struggled to focus on the practice. I'm excited to try Biola's Culturally Expressive Yoga classes, especially Trap Vinyasa... because, Trap Music is damn near the "bacon" of music... it makes everything better!

For more information check out Biola's website.



Images via YogabyBiola.com

Working Out to Relieve Stress

As I sit here typing this post, my left eye is currently alternating between a throb and a twitch... the stress is alive, y'all... but tonight I did my best to stick to my workout schedule and make some time to hit the gym. It's hard to convey how badly I wanted to avoid this workout... but I dug down deep inside my inner being and thought about the cookies I ate earlier lol... I wish I was joking, but sometimes the only thing motivating you to hit the gym is the knowledge that you lost your mind on a particular meal that day lol. What can I say - - I'm not match for pms cravings. 

On another note, buying my heart rate monitor was one of the best purchases I ever made and seriously changed the way I workout. It's awesome to see actual data from my workouts and no longer have to guess how much I burned. One of the added bonuses is that most treadmills are Polar compatible, so I can see my stats live on the machine while I workout! Score.

Time to curl up in the bed... stand on my tip toes reaching for some ZZzzzZZZzzz's before my AM workout with my trainer.

Words of Wisdom: Don't let Stress Get you Got! It's real in these streets.

Friday Night Sweat Session + ANTM

Whenever I think of "2 a days" my mind races back to thoughts of high school football. Mildly athletic teens being forced to hit the gym morning and night, all in an effort to "win state" lol. Last night I needed to clear my head, so despite having already worked out with my trainer at 5am that morning, I hit the gym again for a cardio session.

The TV in my apartment gym only tunes into one channel - - the CW. Thus, I was forced to check out the season 20 premiere of America's Next Top Model. I haven't really watched this show since maybe season 5, but honestly... after Eva, Yaya, and Toccara season 3 I was cool on the rest. Anyways, this is a show that I can watch on mute... and ironically it's about models, so in theory they should be able to paint an effective story without the volume turned up lol.

I can't say that I've been successfully sucked into watching this entire season, but I might make it a Friday night ritual to clear my head with cardio instead of happy hour drinks.

Losing Weight for my 30th Birthday

A few months ago I decided that I needed to get back on the fitness wagon, but this time not focus on trying to drop X amount of lbs or fit into Y outfit. I wanted to set realistic goals and create a lifestyle change. My good friend Sexy and the Chi told me that things get REAL after 30 and I better be at my ideal weight before I join the club.

I decided that I wanted to reach my target weight by my 29th birthday (next month) and maintain it for a full year leading up to my 30th birthday next year. I knew it wouldn't necessarily be "easy" to drop the extra weight, but I made a commitment to shed some lbs.

I started in December 2012 and as of my last weigh in a few weeks ago had dropped 11 lbs, 3% body fat, and regained my jaw line lol. Operation "save my face" has been a success thus far!

Some of the key elements I introduced to aid in my journey:

1) Personal Trainer
2) Heart Rate Monitor
3) My Fitness Pal app

I'll be doing a few blog posts and probably 1-2 YouTube videos detailing my progress and experiences thus far! Everyone wants to get on their "Kanye workout plan" for the summer, but what about having something well rounded for the entire year? I mean, Chicagoans especially tend to give ourselves a pass at gaining during the winter and then working like slaves to get ready for the few months we have to frolic during the summer. None of that equals a healthy lifestyle.

Have you introduced any new things into your diet/fitness routine?