Health & Fitness

How I Made 5am Workouts My Routine

Published on August 3, 2020July 27, 2020 by Style & the Suburbs2 Comments

Prioritizing exercise in your busy life is never easy. I’ve found that when I wait until later in the day to work out, its all too easy to start scrolling on my phone or lying down for “just a few minutes” as an hour passes by.

With my new work from home schedule during the pandemic, I’ve made a point of getting up early every morning to work out. Some days its a long run, some days its just light yoga. It’s not always easy to drag myself out of bed, but it starts the day on the right foot and guarantees that I get my workout in each day.

I thought I would share some of my top tips for getting into the habit of early morning workouts!

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Review: Apple Watch 5 vs the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

Published on August 1, 2020July 8, 2020 by Style & the SuburbsLeave a comment

I have been an Apple Watch user for most of my time running. I originally purchased a watch to be able to run without my phone, and used my Apple Watch 2 for training and running for my first 3 marathons. After 4 years, the battery life on my watch was getting bad, and the software was buggy for the running app Strava. I decided it was time to upgrade to the Apple Watch 5.

After I start working with a running coach, I decided I still wasn’t happy with my new watch, and ended up getting ANOTHER watch just for running. I purchased a Garmin Fenix 6 pro, which is at the higher end of their watches, but had a lot of the features I was looking for. In retrospect, I should have just kept my old Apple Watch and gone with the Garmin.

I’ve had quite a few people ask about the differences, so I thought I would share the pros and cons of each. Right now, I use my Garmin for running and my Apple Watch 5 for every day use. Here are my thoughts on the two:

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Things You Can Still Do To Improve Your Life in 2020

Published on July 27, 2020July 13, 2020 by Style & the SuburbsLeave a comment

After the excitement of starting the new decade, this year probably hasn’t turned out the way you wanted it to. This year, I had looked forward to traveling, spending time with friends, and running lots of races. Now that most plans have gone off the rails, you may feel like there’s nothing you can do other than survive.

Its so important to take care of yourself, now more than ever. There are actually quite a few things that you can do in the next few months to become a better, stronger version of yourself. My motto this year has been to control what you can control, so I wanted to share some of the things you still can control right now!

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How to Score Deals on Lululemon Gear

Published on July 25, 2020July 13, 2020 by Style & the Suburbs3 Comments

One way to make exercising a little more enjoyable is fancy workout clothing. Quality clothing can make your workouts better by keeping you comfortable and staying in place. Its also fun to treat yourself to new gear when you meet a goal or just want to motivate yourself.

At first, I was very skeptical of the lululemon brand. A lot of their yoga specific styles were not functional for runners, which is my sport of choice. Over the years, they have expanded their running specific styles and have developed really functional, quality items For someone who spends a lot of time running, I am willing to splurge to have the right socks, shorts, or sports bra to make the activity enjoyable. I also enjoy the style and aesthetic design of their items.

The only thing that I don’t love is the price. As a product designer, I understand the amount of research and development that goes into a good product. Lululemon also uses quality materials and construction that can cost more and take more time to make than a cheaper brand that “looks” similar.

But, if you’ve followed this blog, you know how much I love a deal. Why pay more for something you can find for less? As a deal hunting pro, here are some of the best ways to score deals on lululemon gear.

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Why I Am Still Training To Run A Virtual Marathon

Published on July 4, 2020June 30, 2020 by Style & the Suburbs5 Comments

Until last week, I still had a slight hope that maybe the Twin Cities Marathon could happen this October. I imagined scenarios of how they could distance runners and make it somewhat “safe” in the spirit of the tradition of the marathon. Of course that was all wishful thinking, and the race was moved to a virtual event last week.

A virtual event means that you still run the race on your own and can submit your time afterwards. You still get a medal and finisher shirt, you just don’t have the same day-of experience.

For me, the day of experience of the marathon is the highlight of the fall. You work so hard to train, and then its a 26 mile celebration with lots of people cheering and tons of excitement to carry you when it gets hard. You also push yourself because of the runners around you, and I always think of my parents waiting at the end and how proud they will be when I see them. The thought of going out to run 26 miles on my own and try to run them fast seems honestly awful.

So why do I want to do it?

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8 Common Mistakes that Derail Your Fitness Goals

Published on June 22, 2020June 15, 2020 by Style & the SuburbsLeave a comment

Summer is here, and you might be thinking about those long past new years resolutions. The warm weather is the perfect time to recommit to a workout routine that makes your feel better and happier!

Its easy to start a routine, but its also really easy to quit them. Here are some of the top mistakes that people make when trying to achieve their fitness goals and how to prevent them!

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