February like no other

February is the shortest month of the year but it just might be the fittest. Have you honored your New Year’s dietary and exercise resolutions? Whether you have or whether you haven’t, I’ve got just the treat for you! A cool take on “abs are made in the kitchen,” I’m honored to present to you my newest fitness video –a collaboration with Monique Walton and the American Heart Association– Kitchen Workout. If you need encouragement of the daily variety, I’m excited to join new online outfit BK Nation as a wellness blogger and February #BKN28 Fitness Challenge Captain. There you’ll find my blog, “The Write Fit,”  in which I offer exercise tips, workout videos, giveaways and more. And if you prefer TV, I’ll be joining you every Tuesday at noon as a Sports Segment host on BK LIVE.

Why all of the health and sport talk, you ask? Because! On February 2nd, this team from my home town met this other team from my dad’s home town. The result? Seattle Seahawks won the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history! It’s American Heart Month; the 50th Anniversary in fact.  February 5th is National Girls and Women in Sports Day, championed by one of my favorite organizations, the Women’s Sports Foundation. February 7th is National Wear Day  — a day that celebrates heart disease prevention awareness. And February 7th is also the start of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Faster, Higher, Stronger! What a day it will be. RED, white and blue speeding all over the place!

TV Personality

Olympic Skeleton Training

Contributor

For those of you who recall my time training for the Olympics in the sport of Skeleton, I’ve helped to design an Olympic themed workout with the editors of popular app and website DailyBurn. You can bet it will challenge all of your senses, especially common sense, if you accept the challenge! If you want to work out with me in person in New York City, I’ve developed a dynamic sand and alternative resistance training class called Manhattan Beach Workout. Talk about getting ready for Summer with plenty of time to spare! 

DailyBurn | Expert Contributor, Workout Design | FEB 2014

 

Oh, one more thing. We’ve been nominated for a Shorty Award in #SocialFitness! This online award recognizes people who “help others make healthy choices in their lives through their influence on social media.” If you’d like to vote, you can do so via Twitter by tweeting: “I nominate @AndiaWinslow  for a Shorty Award in #SocialFitness because…” Be certain to write in your reason after “because…” or the vote won’t count. Thank you for your continued support!

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

Portrait of Sport

A few months back, I had the awesome opportunity to pose for world renown extreme sports and action photographer / storyteller Corey Rich. Our session was part of a bigger learning project called “Getting the Shot with Corey Rich: Tech Tips.” Watch as we go behind the scenes for what it takes to realize a striking athlete portrait!

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

National Women’s Health and Fitness Day Contest!

In honor of Women’s Health and Fitness Day, I’m launching a fun contest! Now here’s the catch. Both men and women can enter though you gentlemen would be entering in support of the women whom you may know and love. On to the prizes:

1st  In-person Wellness Consultation | 1HR Fitness Session | Swag: Fitness Apparel and Tasty/Healthy Delights (1 Winner)

2nd  Skype or Phone Call Wellness Consultation (3 Winners)

3rd  Small Group Fitness Session (10 Winners)

Photo Credit: Kerri Lynne Hamm

To enter: In 500 words (text) or 3 minutes (video) or less, please explain why you are in need of a wellness consultation. What challenges have you faced this year? What should I know about your story? What are your fitness goals for 2014? Be creative! Gentlemen entering on behalf of a gentlewoman, who is she to you? Why is she deserving? And how would this fitness session help her to jump-start the new year? Please email written responses and video links to TheFitCycle@gmail.com.

Rules: Entries close on Monday, October 7th at 9PM EST. Fitness sessions can be based in New York City, New York, and/or Phoenix, Arizona. Skype winners can be international. Phone call consultation winners must use a United States of America exchange only. One entry per person please. Winners selected by a panel of three (3) wellness industry judges. Prizes forfeited one year after award date if unused. No cash value or exchange of services permitted.

About Women’s Health and Fitness Day: Nation’s largest annual health promotion event for women of all ages. This year’s event is set for Wednesday, September 25, 2013, and in future years, is always be held on the last Wednesday in September. This unique national program — with participation by local organizations throughout the U.S. — focuses attention on the importance of regular physical activity and health awareness for women.

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

#LifeOnTheUp

2013 has indeed been a year of forward motion. And upward motion. So, forward and upward motion. 3, 2, 1 lift off folks! After all, it is a MOVEment. May we present a personality feature by Turner Broadcasting (CNN, HLN, TBS, etc) and their new health and lifestyle destination Upwave. Watch the video here: http://bit.ly/AWOnTheUp Enjoy!

Life on the up!

Turner Broadcasting | Upwave | Personality Feature

Turner Broadcasting personality feature

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

National Exercise With Your Child Week

Yes, I know. You know. There is in fact a national celebratory “week” for everything. Shark Week. Mashed Potatoes are Best with Butter Week. I Locked Myself Out of My Apartment, Again, Week. This Selfie Makes Me Look Cute, Right? Week. But if you have a family –especially if you have a family!– the most important week of them all is National Exercise With Your Child Week.

Don’t have kids? That’s cool. Don’t care to have kids? I don’t care.  Kids are the future, and they’re truth-tellers. Ask a kid something. Anything. Something that you really want to know. Something with which you’ve been struggling. They will tell you.  No soothsayer, line-card-toe reader fees apply. Wouldn’t you then want to play with these little humans? Yes! That’s the answer! You do. So, GO! Go play.

Just the other day I played with some kids. This is what happened. 

“Oh but Andia, it’s been so long since I exercised my inner kid. I don’t even know how to play anymore!” you cry. (Wo)man, that’s a shame. We need to work on that. I can help. In the meantime, here are some ideas that I’ve crafted to get you started on the “Reclaim Your Kid, with Your Kids, Journey.”

Partner Workouts are examples of exercises that families can do together. Siblings and parents unite! Size difference is not a limiting factor. Working out together always makes folks closer and more engaged with one another. Children who regularly assist with or share in workouts with their parents feel empowered and confident. They are part of a team and developing leadership skills all the while. Let’s get it in:

Exercise 1: A favorite move is the PUSH-UP CLAP. Partners, both in push-up start position, align themselves opposite and head-to-head from one another. On the same count they perform a push-up and when returning to the start position they each clap one hand together with their partner. This move is fun, auditory and requires communication and synchrony – teamwork!

Exercise 2: WHEELBARROW PUSH-UPS. Watch the contents, they’re fragile.

Exercise 3: JUMP ROPE, a lost art! Kids love it and jump rope games can go on for hours and can morph into countless variations. Not only does it attend to cardiovascular health but it is also a high intensity compound workout. Think muscle building here. Parents want to get involved? Try double dutch or jumping together in the same rope.

Exercise 4: TAG, YOU’RE IT! What kid doesn’t enjoy tag? Boys chasing girls. Girls chasing boys. Siblings chasing each other. Toddlers chasing birds and rabbits. How do parents fit in? Well, a friendly game of tag is a fun bonding opportunity that seems to be a pure game. Not so. Track athletes run sprint series from a dead stop. Basketball, football and softball players run lines as athletic drills. The same movement(s) is being exercised in tag. The chase is exercise for all parties involved and whether or not they know it, a HITT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout!

OK. I’ve helped you. Can you help me? Join The Fit Cycle #MOVEment. Share this post with your family and friends. Send us photos and videos of your action. Click here for ideas! Oh! One more thing. If you live in or are visiting New York City on Saturdays in August, check out Summer Streets. It’s amazing and I love it.

Summer Streets!

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia