{Guest Post} Three Ways Look Stylish While You Sweat

Well P+K'ers, today we have a special gift! One of my close friends and fellow bloggers, Candice Henry, has written a guest post all about how to have some serious gym style! Candice and I have known each other for almost a decade now and her blog is one of those that inspired me to start my own.

Teatime Thoughts is Candice's blog and my go-to for cute outfits and fantastic party how-to's. Seriously, Candice is a champ when it comes to throwing together a ridiculously good party that seems effortless and is fun. Candice is passionate about helping girls find their full potential and is in the process of writing her first book. She is also a public speaker and has done some pretty incredible things with the Your Are Project. I would definitely recommend checking out her blog for more party tips and style finds! Let's get to it :)

Hi P&K readers! I'm so excited to be here with you all, chatting for a few minutes about workout apparel. As you probably know, it's easy to slip into that rut of wearing those comfy, worn-out old college tees and your favorite pair of yoga pants to the gym, but is that really motivating you to rock those workouts? My guess is, probably not, at least it didn't motivate me. So, what's a girl to do? Looks like it's time for a little update to the gym wardrobe.

Is it possible to actually combine fashion with the gym? Some might argue otherwise, but I think it's definitely possible, encouraged even! Here's a few tips to amp up that workout wardrobe, and maybe you'll even be inspired to turn up the heat in that gym session of yours!

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1. Color is key.
Its been proven over and again that certain colors affect our moods, and this is one time when you can wear all the obnoxiously neon shades and see it's effect on your motivation to exercise. There's something about lacing up a new pair of bright kicks or slipping into a tank in your favorite shade of lemon yellow or coral that just energizes and gets you excited about hitting the gym at an early hour or after work. Find a color you love, and you'll always look forward to putting it on to burn some calories.

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2. Fit & Flatter
I'm sure you're thinking, 'who cares? It's just the gym..', but trust me, you'll be far more motivated to put on something that you know you look good in, rather than that beat up old tee. Those have their place, but we're talking about updating that seen-before look. Whether it's tanks or printed graphic tees, shorts, yoga pants or running leggings, find pieces that not only fit properly (no one wants to see things that they shouldn't.. let's be modest, yes, even at the gym) and also flatter your body type. Make sure that it's not all about how it looks, face value, remember, you are going to need to move around, so give yourself a little wiggle room for that cardio routine! Pick pieces that make you feel good, and you'll do a double take when you're looking in the gym mirror. Yeah, you do look that good! Keep up the great work! :)

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3. Quality over Quantity
Ok, I'll be honest here, it's easy to get caught up in all the fun trends in workout gear, and to go overboard on running shirts and tanks, but, if there's one thing that I've learned from many years of athletics, it's the fact that quality is always better than quantity. Take care of your body, and invest in good pieces that will in turn, take care of you. What do I mean by this? Invest in good shoes. Seriously. Whether you're running marathons or walking the dog, it's important to make sure that you're wearing something with adequate support, and if possible, find an athletic store that is able to fit you for shoes that are custom to your needs. Also, invest in a high-quality sports bra. Your back & chest will thank you for this; you'll alleviate a lot of back strain, and feel more secure, even in that yoga inversion (and let's get real here, lots of bouncing around never ever looks good). Quality doesn't always mean high prices, it's just essential that you find something that will last and meet your active lifestyle. Instead of buying a bunch of cheap tshirts, purchase a few well-made active tops (whatever style you enjoy) and you'll always feel great, and know you look good whenever you workout.

Here's to stylish, rockin' workouts!

Candice

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This Week in Workouts

This week was normal and great except for the whole we are going to Disney thing- ahhhh, I cannot wait! The hubs has my whole birthday trip planned out and I am seriously excited. Here are a few of the things that have turned me into an sugared-up four year-old this past week.

1. The weather: It is perfect right now and the best thing to do in this sunny, 72-degree beauty is spend time outside. Specifically, outside with Disney characters around.
2. The new Festival of Fantasy Parade is up and running and I CANNOT wait to see it.
3. We will be staying at one of my favorite Disney hotels.
4. Raglan Road and EPCOT UK pavilion will be AWESOME on St. Patrick's Day. Along with all the other great things Disney will be doing in all the parks for this super fun holiday.
5. Silly, but I have this new pair of Tom's shoes that are ridiculously comfy and I will be able to wear them, possibly, without icing those toesies at night.
6. Looking at the almost completed Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It. Looks. Awesome.
7. The annual funnel cake I allow myself to eat without sharing. Birthday traditions are the best!
8. Cronuts. EPCOT has cronuts.
9. Refer to number eight. Cronuts.
10. For the first time in 2014, neither the hubs or I are sick. That is enough reason to party for me!

My hope is to have a nice little sum-up after we get back with lots of pictures of foods, parades, festivities, and maybe a yoga shot or two. We will see how things roll. I will also be instagraming pictures (side note, is intagraming a word?) while we are there, so if you are not following me on instagram yet, be sure to start. Click here to follow. And now, to the workouts!

Since I had the mental capacity of a four-year-old on ecstasy this week, not a whole lot got done other than our corporate taxes (happy that is over and I will not think about it for a year), business goods, writing, writing, and more writing, and a couple of workouts mixed in. Actually, this week was quite productive, maybe I should get crazy excited more often?

Sunday: Lots of handstand practicing that left me feeling like my niece in her gymnastic classes. Then, this yoga flow and this one. Look, I am talking like her now too.

Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: 2-mile interval run followed by core work and a great post-run yoga flow. I will share it one day, promise.

Wednesday: 10-minute ballet fusion arm workout that will be up soon. Then, this yoga flow. I also did this inversion flow with more handstand practice.

Thursday: Rest Day

Friday: 2.5-mile jog followed by that infamous post-run yoga flow.

Saturday: A day exactly like last Sunday :) I know, this week was the epitome of workout creativity. What can I say, I have Disney (and taxes-boo) on the mind.

Did you know that San Francisco is getting rainbow sidewalks? You can read about it here.

Dale Partridge also wrote a pretty neat-o article for anyone wanting to switch life up. Read about it here.

This Week in Workouts: Goal!!!!

This week has been both an incredibly accomplishing week, and, at the same time, a pretty slow week for workouts. First off, Wednesday was, hands down, the most traffic P+K has ever gotten! It was great; every hour was nearly twice as many views than we usually get in one day, and it never seemed to end. I have no idea why Wednesday was so incredible, but it was awesome.

This week has also been pretty great on the yoga front. I completed two hot power flows with my new favorite yoga instructor, Angela Mynatt, at Body Heat Yoga. She is awesome. These were great and my arms are soooo sore. But, the handstand now has a check-mark next to it and so does this pose. Awesome. And sore. So sore.

Oh, and I also found this show by Tara Stiles. It is so fun and I must try her vegan mac and cheese recipe. Like right now.

Today we are also going to see the Ski-a-rees here in Sarasota with my Dad and step-mom and grabbing some lunch before-hand. The weather has been perfect and I have been wanting to see these awesome performers since I learned they were here (and have been for like 30-years). Tonight will also be the return of Once Upon and Time and I am soo excited!!! Anyone else on team Hook? I totally am. But now, to the workouts! And some lazy kittehs....

Workouts

Sunday: Rest day :)

Monday: 2-mile interval workout followed by a 10-minute Ballet Yoga fusion arm workout that I will be adding soon!

Tuesday: Hot Power Flow that was perfect! Also mastered this pose that day :D

Wednesday: Rest day :)

Thursday: This 30-minute advanced yoga flow that was a great home flow for those wanting to push themselves.

Friday: A quick 10-minute Ballet Yoga fusion for arms and this Ballet Workout for The Bum. That night we also went to the book launch party of our friend's new book Epic of Haven: The Great Darkening. It is an epic book and I am just so happy that we have been able to be a part of it!! Also, you can download it here for freeee! But also buy the hardcover, it is worth it.

Saturday: 90-minute hot power flow that was the best thing ever. I then went home, ate lunch, and took a nap. Yea, Saturday was pretty great!

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4 Health and Fitness Books I Will be Reading

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There are plenty of health and fitness books out there, some great, some not-so-much. So far, I have pretty much lucked out on reading the good ones and steering clear of the crazies. In the past few months this has mainly occurred through only reading fictional books about love during the Regency era and a few in our post-apocalyptic future. To get back on track and feel less like a time-waster reading books that I love but are not increasing my knowledge base much,  have decided to read some very highly reviewed and very much anticipated books from the health and fitness world. Which ones, you ask? Great question! Let's get into four that have caught my eye and I cannot wait to read! 

The Big Picture by Tony Horton

We all know and love him from his insane P90X workouts, one of which I will be doing today! But, did you know that he is also an inspirational author? True! The Big Picture is Horton's first book that is no fitness related, but does still talk on health.

I have heard tons of fantastic things about this book and cannot wait to read it for myself. Horton talks all about how to achieve life goals and set a purpose for your life in 11-steps that will also help you attain optimal health. I have heard that this is a really great outline for things we may already know to do, but have not started for whatever reason.

If you are interested in Tony's other book, Bring It!, you can find it here.

Yoga Anatomy 2nd Edition by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews

This may not be for everyone, but I have been seriously wondering about how to really make sure all the right muscle groups are feeling what they should be feeling during each pose. It is so ridiculously easy to be just a little bit off in a pose and think we are doing it right. Goodness, I am guilty of this so often. This book even goes into the psychology of flows and breathing. 

Leslie Kaminoff, is pretty well known in both the yoga community and health and fitness world. He is a world renown yoga instructor who, if you ever read Yoga Journal, you have probably already learned something from. The book is separated into pose types such as sitting, standing, and inversions. Oh boy, I cannot wait to get my hands on this goodie!

Note: I say, "get my hands on" because I have read many kindle reviewers complain that the picture size is too small. Paperback seems to be the way to go for this guy.

Also, these cards may be a bit better for those who feel a book of yoga anatomy is a bit intense. Besides, they look super fun :)

Eat to Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek

I first hear about this book at least a year ago when Scott Jurek was being interviewed on a popular running blog. Although I do not remember which running blog it was, I do remember being enthralled by his story. He is an ultramarathoner, a record breaker, an extreme high performance athlete, and a vegan. If that last one surprised you like it did me, get ready for what I think will be a mind blowing reading experience. A high performance athlete who does not eat meat or any animal by-product- whhhaaatt?!

Jurek also adds in some inspiration to help us overcome the mental barriers as well as the physical. It has surprised me how many people talk about this book in relation to philosophy as much as fitness. It also surprises me that I have not read it yet. Let's just stop the embarrassment and read it now, ok?

The Body Book by Cameron Diaz

I recently hear Cameron Diaz talking about her new book on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and though, "yep, that is something I want to read." To be completely honest, I have always though of Cameron Diaz as a super fit and fantastic looking girl, but never really considered her to know a whole ton about nutrition. Seems like that thought would be wrong and her book would be crazy interesting to anyone who enjoys knowing the interactions of chemicals on a cellular level. Yes, yes that interests me a lot.

This book looks great for learning easy recipes and quick tips, but it also seems to be full of health information we all have wondered at some point bet never known the answer to. I also very much enjoy what Cameron said about healthy people not dieting and that those who are the most healthy eat a lot; they just eat a lot of really great things. Nothing speaks to this food-loving girl more than throwing those constrictive diets to the wind and deciding to eat lots of yummy, healthy things!