February 2011
17 posts
Unik Fit: Gym Bags
For a fit female a gym bag is like our second handbag, so it’s important that it serves the right purpose! I found some adorable and ideal gym bags that are perfect for the athletic female on the go.
Nike Gym Club Bag
Price: $70
Shop: Zappos
Nike Sami 3.0 Large Club Bag
Price: $65
Shop: Zappos
Adidas Anya Day Duffle
Price: $36
Shop: Ebags
Price: $75
Shop: Lug
I love how there is a compartment for your sneakers, since I am and avid spinner I can simply tuck my spin shoes away.
Nadia Murdock is a PR Guru and the CEO of Manchester Public Relations and a writer for the NY Fitness Examiner. Find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Shoes to coveted...
Happy Monday, everyone! Let’s kick it off with some awesome hot pink beautifuuuul flats by kate spade.
(Via Kate Spade)
Weekend Look: What Heidi Wore
Winter weekend look by personal style blogger and yoga instructor Heidi of What Heidi Wore.
That’s it for me this week. Happy weekend, lovelies! I’ll see you back here on Monday!
(Via What Heidi Wore)
Unik Fit: Interview with Alycea Ungaro of Real Pilates
Alycea Ungaro is one of the most recognized and influential Pilates teachers in the world. Ungaro is the owner of one of the top Pilates studios in New York, Real Pilates. Her expertise and love for Pilates has led her to train some A-list celebrities such as Madonna, Uma Thurman, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Claire Danes, Christy Turlington and many more. Her book Pilates Practice Companion was released on December 20, 2010. It’s a one-stop Pilates guide for beginners and experts alike, making it ideal for everyone. Alycea wrote her book in accessible language that conveys the essence of her exclusive, celeb-attended classes, so we can all be a part of them in our own living room!
I had the opportunity to visit the Real Pilates Studio and meet with Alycea to discuss the importance of practicing Pilates. Continue reading to learn more about the practice and why it means so much to her.
NM: Why do you think it’s important to include Pilates into your training?
AU: Pilates is training for real life and it makes you better at everything you do. For real life you want to ski, run and play sports. Having an exercise system like Pilates that supports all of that prepares you to not get injured, which means you can play harder, faster and longer and live life a little better.
NM: Do you think the classes you offer with the machines are what appeals to most of your students?
AU: Here at the studio working with the equipment is a key part of the Real Pilates training and it is definitely attractive to our students. You can do Pilates floor work almost anywhere, but we are unique because we dedicate our practice here to the equipment.
NM: Why do you think you have such a large celebrity clientele?
AU: We really care! First of all, all our clients are celebrities; it doesn’t really matter who you are or what you do. We want to make sure you get the best possible training and that it’s the most customized and tailored to exactly what you need to focus on.
NM: I noticed you have been practicing for 20 years!
AU: I was 14 years old when I started, and it’s been a long history of practicing it and eventually teaching it. It’s still amazing to me and still fun! I am never bored; it’s also the most diverse form of exercise I have ever found. Whatever I am doing I can always go back to Pilates to make sure it helps me in all my other activities.
NM: Do you find that Pilates has changed a lot over the years and you are continuously learning?
AU: You are always continuously learning, Pilates is like a language. You learn the words then you make sentences; there is always a next level to take it to. However I feel that the consumer is experiencing it in different ways via books, videos, iPhone applications, etc. Unfortunately I think that sometimes “dumbs” things down and you will see pieces of Pilates and never really know that there is this whole other area.
NM: I know you have a new book out called Pilates Practice Companion. Tell us what’s great about this book!
AU: I love this book; I am very passionate about this book. When I was asked to write this book they said they wanted something more basic than all the other books I have written as well as something more advanced. So I got to play around with the traditional Pilates order and expand on that. What I did was two things; first, I borrowed heavily from the equipment exercises and translated them to the floor. So the home user can do the equipment-based exercises with no equipment. The second thing is that, it’s really hard to do Pilates from a book because you can’t hear the tempo. So I gave nine classes that are real classes taught by me at Real Pilates. Then I provided tempos, which is really hard to do. I provided a key at the beginning of the book that states, depending on the level you are working at, your heart rate and breaths should be x per minute. Then I assigned those tempos to each move in the hopes you are able to work out at the proper tempo.
NM: The book is for all levels, correct?
AU: Yes, it’s for all levels. Hopefully it’s too hard for you so that you have something to work towards. There is a lot of great material in the Companion.
For more information please visit www.alyceaungaro.com and www.realpilatesnyc.com.
Take a backstage peek at the book’s photo shoot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds2Ohw27FT8
Nadia Murdock is a PR Guru and the CEO of Manchester Public Relations and a writer for the NY Fitness Examiner. Find her on Facebook and Twitter.
