If you have been following along you know how much I adore Kristin Bouquist; how much I live for her Cardio Party classes at Lifetime; and how much I lack any dancing ability. So of course, I could not finish the month of virtual classes without inviting Kristin to bring it with KBO Fitness, her virtual workout platform. And when I say “bring it”, I truly mean those words because no one else brings it quite like this woman.

Last month, when we were in the hospital with my son for two weeks with severe RSV, my friend bought me and Caleb the cutest and softest pj’s for our return home. I hesitate to even call them pajamas because they are too cute to wear at night only. Learn about Softsies and how your purchase will help raise money for Nemours Children’s Hospital.

Improving my shadow boxing skills is on the list of my fitness goals for 2022. One of the reasons is that my friend, Jen Crompton, is so impressive when she teaches her signature Boxing and Beats class. For now, I am more than happy to take her class virtually because of how ridiculous I look (half the time I spend laughing at myself). But I want to be ready for the day Jen is able to hold these classes in person again. Boxing is a great cardio workout plus it keeps you on your toes (both literally and figuratively) as you move through the combinations. Join me and Jen this Sunday, January 23, at 10:00 am for the next virtual class.

January is about setting intentions and goals and hopefully trying something new. This year, for me, I want to try Reiki. Until last year, I had never even heard the word. Now, I can't stop hearing it. It could be because it’s gaining popularity as we are all turning inward to find peace and calmness in a very unsettled world. But for me, it could also be because my good friend, Angela Sipe, got her certifications to become a Reiki Master Practitioner and started her own practice this year. And Angela’s private Reiki sessions have been selling out every month since she launched her company, 81st and James. So I had to get Angela (partially for my own benefit) to speak about Reiki, and of course, have her do a little distance Reiki with you all.

I owe a lot to the ladies at Working Wellness Yoga. For one, WWY co-founder, Amy Orcutt, reintroduced me to yoga. So for this coming week’s virtual class, I asked Amy to teach one of her signature Power Flow classes. You all can see exactly what I am talking about when I say that you can feel both powerful and peaceful at the same time when you practice yoga.

Whenever people ask about motivation, I always have the same response: Find something you enjoy. Then it’s easy to stay motivated! This will make all the difference in your success in meeting your fitness goals. So for the new year, I am introducing two new workouts that I thoroughly enjoy and plan to do more of in 2022. Give them a try. You may also surprise yourself and find a new found love, like I did.

It’s that time of year that we look back and reflect on the past year so I’d like to contribute with a little recap of my own, Fitness Finds style. I wore a lot of activewear in 2021. So here are my top 3 picks from 2021, plus a bonus pick at the end.

If there was ever a time to get “fancy” with your activewear, December is it. I know it sounds a little (actually, a lot) ridiculous to say fancy and activewear in the same sentence, but activewear has become so much more than just the clothes to sweat in. We are basically living in these pieces now, so why not make them a little special during the holidays? And when you see what I picked out, I think you will agree with me that fancy activewear is actually pretty fabulous.

As always, shopping local this time of year is a great way to go. And all of these options have origins here on the Main Line or in the Philadelphia area. We have such talent out here so why not support our neighbors!

I have put together a list of toys that do offer real health benefits. These gifts will be sure to get your kiddies off the screens and away from the controllers. They will be up and moving and having a blast while benefitting their overall health and wellness.

Even the best gift giver can become overwhelmed this time of year. Whether shopping for a fitness enthusiastic, a fitness novice or someone who has active goals for the new year, there are gifts here for you and everyone on your list. So use this list to shop for others, or pass it along (with arrows and circles) to those who buy for you. Volume 1 of my Gift Guide includes fit gifts for the Tech Lover, Rest and Recovery Days and Stocking Stuffers.

The holidays are all about special gift items. It’s the time of year when we spend a little more for sparkle, limited edition items and those things that we have coveted all year long. And I cannot think of anything more special than my favorite local, activewear brand coming out with a children’s line so little girls can match their mamas on the tennis court! I literally squealed with delight when Club & Court’s co-founder, Lara Evans, told me that she was designing a children’s line a few months ago. And I squealed yet again when my little girl first put on these to-die-for creations.

It’s pretty wonderful to hear that a new studio is opening. I just haven’t heard it in a really, really long time. With all that the fitness industry (and so many other industries) have had to deal with over the past 20 months, closings unfortunately, are far more common. When I started this blog last April, I had hopes of being able to share new studio openings with this audience. And almost eight months later, I am finally able to write about one! And I could not be happier that I get to write about Lisa Werny’s new yoga studio, Evolve Yoga and Beyond.

I absolutely hate being cold. But, I have learned that in order to make cold weather activities actually enjoyable, proper cold weather gear really matters. As soon as I bought the right clothes and cold weather accessories, running in the winter was a pretty awesome and exhilarating thing. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing some shopping research to find the best cold weather gear from some of my favorite activewear brands. The function and style of these technical winter pieces are on point! And, I’m just in time with this post because we said good bye to those fall summer-like temps to welcome 40 degree days this week!

Activewear has not only taken over my life (in the best way), but it’s completely taken over my closet. The leggings started to spill over my shelves, the bras out of my drawers, and eventually, everything landed on my closet floor where I was recently just pulling from piles. This was not ideal. Not to mention, it was impossible to find that darn high-waisted, camo, compressive legging that I wanted to wear for my run as I am rushing out the door! Lucky for me, my talented SIL, Devin, just launched her dream organizing business.

A chunky, cozy sweater has to be the best thing in my closet right now. I love a cardigan to throw on over anything. Literally, anything. Like your workout clothes! Seriously, a cardigan and a pair of boots can take you right from a yoga class to lunch. From pilates to the office. From boot camp to boot shopping. No time to shower and fuss? No problem. Who the heck has that kind of time anyway? A little dry shampoo, some mascara and a cardigan, and you are good to go. Here are some of my favorite post workout looks that will have you looking as fresh as if you just stepped out of the shower instead of the studio.

This Sunday morning, on October 17, a group of local runners and community members will congregate in the parking lot of Radnor Elementary School before 8:30 a.m. to take place in the 2nd Annual Run for the Cure. Run for the Cure is a high school student run 5K that raises money for breastcancer.org. And like most fundraising events for breast cancer that take place this month, this 5K comes with a story. A story that is close to the Radnor High School community.

Now that I am training for a few races this fall, I am running 4 days (soon to be 5) and strength training 2 days a week. That leaves me with one really treasured, much anticipated day of rest. I pick Sundays as my day to recover because I do my long runs on Saturdays. Also, Sundays are a great day to hang in my pj’s a little longer, sip my coffee a little slower, happily eat a big breakfast, indulge in something sweet and do the things I enjoy before rushing out the door… like every other morning of my week.

I’m rounding out the month of kids’ fitness finds with some of my favorite fitness related children’s books. If you follow my other Instagram account, you know that last year I took my home schooling duties very seriously. I am happy to have the real professionals back in charge of my kids’ education but last year had many wonderful (and challenging) gains in our house. One of which was the growth of our at-home library. A good book not only entertains but educates. I may have learned more than my kids last year! A few of my favorite additions to our at-home children’s library last year were books that focused on the incredible human body and mind. Learning to appreciate our bodies and be wowed by our own capabilities is a lesson we can all benefit from.

One of the biggest challenges that a busy routine brings is fitting in healthy meals. High protein and low sugar meals and snacks for the kids are more important than ever to get their brains focused for school and their muscles ready to work after school. But how can you make healthy quick meals happen when the kids are back to being so gosh darn busy?