Create Your Own Yoga Magic

One of the very first posts I ever published on this blog, when I started last year, was about yoga. I really can’t stress enough how much yoga means to me. And although I know all the benefits, intellectually speaking and from my own experience, sometimes I stray from the mat. The last few years I lived in St Louis USA, I was going to yoga classes religiously and had no need for my own practice at home. Now when I have returned to Sweden and have yet to find all my bearings, keeping up with yoga by doing my own practice has been vital. I am right now testing out a few yoga classes and I am confident I will find good instructors in Malmö. Maybe not as good as Cat, my very first yoga teacher who was amazing and Gloria, yoga teacher extraordinaire who was the last instructor I practiced with, but still, I will find some. Meanwhile, my own practice has grown to be very important to me. I don’t know why I at times stop practicing. I think sometimes I have this idea in my head in order for workouts to be good they need to be aggressive. For quite a while I took pride in my ability to be able to workout 2 hours each day and I looked up to the sayings “No Pain, No Gain” and “Blood, Sweat and Tears.” Weird, as I always saw great results with yoga. I wish I can inspire others to take up this gentle, but effective, kind of workout. Or at least give it a try. My mom has been practicing yoga at my dad’s fitness club for the past 4 years and she loves it. My older sister Ida has started tagging along with me in Malmö when I have tried different sessions and I think I can make a believer out of her too! I always think it’s good to attend classes if you can, but they can come with a steep price tag. I would say, start at home then.

Buy a mat, and buy a yoga mat, a so called "sticky mat." Do not buy a thick workout mat that claims to be a multipurpose one. My mats are generally 3 millimeters thick. My favorite brand of yoga mats is called Gaiam. I know you can find Gaiam merchandise in the US, Canada, UK and Australia. Not sure of Sweden. I have had one mat imported by my sister. When you start, you really only need a mat. Maybe a block too. A block is a device used when you can’t quite reach for example the floor and you can use the block as an extension of yourself. And if you wish, you can also buy a strap. A strap can be used to stretch your legs higher etc. I have seen some yogis use old ties as straps...just an idea. I would also perhaps dedicate a shawl for your yoga practice. The shawl can be used to wrap yourself up when you lay in savasana (corpse pose...yes, it’s laying still). I have a pashmina shawl my dear American Host Dad once gave me. Means a lot to know it’s a gift from him. Some people also have a small blanket on hand to be able to roll it up and sit on. A rolled up blanket will get you a bit off the floor and you will get the correct position for your hips and sits bones when you are sitting upright. However, a block, a strap, a shawl and a blanket are stuff you don’t need. They are good to have, but you don’t need them in order to start a practice. A mat however, for me, is vital. One yoga teacher once told me that all your previous work and energy is kept in the mat. This notion kind of appeals to my hippie side. I share one of my mats with my mom and it makes me happy to know she is using it. Some of my fellow yoginis/yogis have worn out their mats by using them so much. I have never had that happen (yet!), but I have learned to not keep my mat in a cold car in the middle of the icy winter season. Or in the sweltering hot weather in the summertime. My mats have never been destroyed, but have felt a bit odd after both experiences.

With Tara Stiles

After purchasing a mat, I would say go on YouTube. There are so many yoga videos out there! Are all of them good? Probably not. But a lot of them are! Many of my friends watch “Yoga with Adrienne.” I have followed a few of her videos too, and in my humble opinion, she is good. But my all time favorite to follow is Tara Stiles. Stiles is the yoga rebel from New York City who has with her relaxed, approachable attitude to yoga revolutionized the industry sort of speak. Feels a bit weird to write “industry” in the same sentence as “yoga.” I met her during one of my visits to the “Big Apple” and I had such a fan girl moment! Ask my sister, I don’t think she has ever seen me react to meeting a celebrity that way. It’s just this is the kind of celebrity I love. Tara Stiles is a real role model and her message is of peace and to have fun. She could not have been nicer as we chatted for a while and seriously, I was on cloud nine for hours if not days afterwards. Such a special moment.

If you are unsure which videos on YouTube are good to use, perhaps you have a friend who does a lot of yoga and can ask him or her to send you some links. Feel free to ask me! And start small. It’s better to do 15 minutes of yoga a few times a week than 1 one hour session and not do it again for 2 weeks. I would also recommend having your mat somewhere quite visible. Not in the back of your closet underneath a pile of clothes, shoes, sport bags and climbing ropes. To have it out it will remind you to keep a regular practice. And I don’t mean have it rolled out; I am not that devoted to let it permanently take up precious space on the floor. If you happen to be a princess/prince living in a castle or a high-fly CEO with a mega mansion, and have a spare room you can devote to yoga, by all means have the mat rolled out at all times. This Viking Princess just don't have that kind of real estate...for the moment. However, as yoga is a huge part of my life and lifestyle, I don’t mind seeing the roll. And speaking of rolls, I was recently asked, as part of an exercise in a very formal setting, to present myself by making a drawing of the things that mattered to me. Later I had to make a presentation and tell people about the items on the drawing. I had a rolled up mat to symbolize my love and devotion for yoga. I am not very good at drawing (my sister Ida snagged all the talent in that department) so it came out looking like a marijuana joint. I had to make sure to explain what the roll really symbolized…and what it did not stand for. Point is, have the mat so you see it. Yoga can be done anywhere…I have practiced on the sandy beaches of Miami, at a swanky upscale yoga studio in central Sydney and on a theater stage (no people in the audience though!) in St Louis. Just get crackin…and still, that is not a drug reference.

I just hope this will inspire someone to take up yoga. If you do it at home, it’s free. The only expense at first is the mat. I can’t stress enough how beneficial yoga is. Of course for the obvious reasons that moving your body and stretching is good for you. But I also feel that when I do yoga regularly, I want to eat better. I want to feed my body nourishing food and drink more water and green tea. I love what yoga does for mental hygiene. Yoga is not a competition. Yoga is listening to your body and be kind to it. I have had friends with eating disorders who have been helped by practicing yoga. And yoga is not just for “skinny bitches.” Surprised by me using the word “bitches”?  Well, let me tell you the story of why I say that: I was standing outside a studio in St Louis along with others waiting for our class to start. A lady (well, she was not quite a lady, but I will be nice) who was a bit heavier set walked by us and said out loud: “And those skinny bitches stay that way by just laying there, doing nothing?! I bet they don’t eat anything!!” and walked off. Well, we do eat, lots actually (I have many times unintentionally impressed people with my ability to consume massive amounts of food), and yoga is not just for skinny girls. It’s for everyone, men and women of all sizes and ages.

To continue to be inspired I think it’s good to follow people on Facebook and Instagram. Heck yes use social media for good purposes! Someone I would recommend to keep an eye on is Rachel Brathen, a.k.a. “Yoga Girl.” Brathen is a native Swede who currently resides in Aruba. Among the many things she does is to teach yoga on top of surfboards in the water. For me as a yogini and surfer (wannabe), this is rad! Another wonderful person to look to is Tao Porchon-Lynch. She is dubbed “the world’s oldest yoga instructor.” Porchon-Lynch is 96.

And my dear reader, yoga without breathing is just stretching. Now, I did not come up with that saying myself, but have heard it from many teachers over the years. So make sure you are aware of your breathing, not just on the mat, but in everyday life.  How about you take a deep breath right now? Did you do it? Did ya? Did ya? :) I hope this blog post can convey my love for yoga, inspire someone to try it and cement my own regular practice. One last thing: Girls (and guys) always make sure you have pretty painted toenails, you will be spending a lot of time looking at those suckers when you have a regular practice. What I usually have on my toe nails: Spring Street from New York Colors, a perky red/orange shade. Namaste...over and out. 

The Quest For A Fitness Club

2015…ah the start of a new year, the time to reinvent ourselves, to create better versions of what we use to be! The start of a new year is also the time to get down and dirty and sweat a little holiday weight off, get some endorphins going, but more importantly create healthy habits. I love working out so I have never made a New Year's Resolution to workout. Last year I actually promised myself to scale down on my workouts as I was being too harsh on my body. I am not an Olympian so I need not to pretend that I am. I am however, along with many of my readers, a frequent guest at gyms/fitness clubs/yoga studios anytime of the year. I can honestly say I don’t remember a time when I did not belong to one of the previously mentioned establishments. Now I stand solo. It’s a very strange feeling, I feel lost without it. I even functioned as a torturer…ehhh personal trainer…back in the US from time to time and now I am like a ship without a captain. A train without a locomotive. A priest without a church…alright, point is, I need to find a place to workout at. After leaving the US and Club Fitness, I have been a bit of a wild card, working out here and there, but mostly at my dad’s fitness club in Laholm. Friskis and Svettis in Laholm is great, but I now live in a different city and the quest begins for a new place of worship. If you are in the same situation, here are a few pointers I have been going off in my search:

To get an overall feel for the place, ask if you can workout for free one time or at least at a reduced price. Is the staff ready to let you do that? Does it have the vibe you are looking for? Try to workout at the time you normally would, let’s say 7 pm. That way you will hopefully get an idea of what kind of trolls and Barbies are there too. Because oh dear, there are lots of characters at gyms. If you do get to try out a fitness place one time, is it clean? Floor? Bathrooms? I am not a clean freak, but seriously, sometimes you are on the floor doing sit ups and I don’t know about you, but having dust balls swirling around my body is not my thing. People obviously also sweat a lot at gyms, but if the establishment is good, there is no need for odor. Ventilation is not a sexy thing to talk about, but oh so necessary. Also, see if there are many machines with an "out of order" sign on it…always a bad omen. Check opening times for the fitness club. Will it suit your current schedule? You may not need a gym which is open 24/7, but you know what you need. Are you the type of person who jumps out of bed early in the morning with a bright smile on your lips ready to spend an hour at the fitness club at day break? Then you obviously need a place which is open at that godforsaken time. If the place offers classes, check out the availability and offerings. If you are more into yoga and a more gentler kind of working out (still super effective though), you may not need a gym which puts a lot of effort into bringing its clients “Ultra Mega Hard Core Workout Boot Camp Style So Intense You Will Puke Your Insides Out” several times per week.

Is the establishment close to where you live/work/study or will you have to take two buses, a boat and a train to get there? Unless you are 120 percent dead set on that this is the gym which will mold you into the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Arnie’s body is your goal, this may not be the place for you. You also need to consider if the fitness club have what you need. Classes, machines, free weights? Because I LOVE skipping leg day and only focus on bulking up my arms…not…but I do like to workout with free weights. I have found it that many girls are afraid of this section of the gym, but seriously, it’s not the dark hole you may think it is. Yes sometimes I have gotten some stares from the guys there, but after a while I earned a nod here and there and everything was fine. Free weights are great to build up some muscles which obviously helps your body to get strong. If weight loss is your goal, strong muscles burn fat even when you don’t workout. I don’t ever encourage people to workout just for the purpose of weight loss, but you know what I mean. Also, does the place have a large selection of those energy drinks which are filled with sugar? Huge turn off for me as I feel they have no place at a gym. Yes some caffeine or even a little sugar before a workout is okay and even welcomed by personal trainers, but I hate to see energy drinks for sale in the lobby. Don’t get me started on those gym goers who have a liquefied cooked chicken breast and raw eggs in a zippy cup with them on the gym floor. Oh yes, seen plenty of those.

Ask for recommendations from people you know, or friends to friends. I currently have a lead on a yoga studio from a friend to my sister which I am dying to check out. If a person has used a fitness club for years, there must be something good with it. Or worst case scenario it’s like the “Friends” episode where Chandler wishes to quit the gym and just can’t. The gym staff intimidates him so much he brings Ross with him to be able to muster up the courage to quit the gym. Not only does Chandler stay on as a member, Ross ends up getting signed up after a beautiful female staff member appears. Okay, usually, if a person has been loyal to a place for years, there should be a reason for it. We all have options of where to go. Even in my small hometown of Laholm there are several fitness clubs to choose from. (But of course my dad’s club, Friskis and Svettis is the best. I have no shame in doing PR hahahaha). I would also say try to calculate how dedicated you are. If you are just starting out, maybe you don’t need to belong to the most exclusive gym in town which has its own spa department attached to the place. Unless there is a plethora of attractive people working out there. Then of course it’s totally worth spending the money as anyone knows the probability of you going there increases with the percentage of attractive people attending said club. (KIDDING!) Check if you can buy a pass for 3 months or 6 months first and not sign up for a yearlong contract. Some fitness clubs in Sweden even offer a 10 time pass. They are also great, but can however offer you a loophole in your fitness routine which can backfire. Maybe you are not feeling up for going to the gym (I almost always do, but I am weird) and you think you should not waste one of those 10 times on going when you are not 100 percent pumped. That’s why I think buying a 3 months unlimited pass that will allow you to workout as much as you want is better.

But ultimately, it’s the people that makes a place good or bad. Especially when it comes to instructors of fitness classes. Take yoga for example. I have attended yoga classes in many different countries, in some amazing and exclusive yoga studios. I have also had multiple instructors over the years, some better than others. My two all-time ABSOLUTE favorite yoga teachers did not, at the time, teach at incredibly fancy places. My first ever yoga teacher Cat (now living and teaching in Bali) taught on a stage at the local YMCA in Chesterfield, USA. We were practicing on a stage because there were no rooms available for us anywhere else. Cat was, and still is, an incredible teacher! She could have charged some ridiculous sum for her expertise. She was and is that good! But back then she taught at a fairly modest (although I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED my time there) YMCA. My other favorite yoga rock star teaches at the Dogtown location of Club Fitness in St. Louis, USA. Her name is Gloria and again, her yoga classes are out of this world good! This is just to show that you can find gems at places not dedicated to a certain ting. So my advice on finding a fitness place is keeping an open mind and to try it out. Make it work for you. As for me, I am excited to see where I will end up going. This yogini needs a place to put her mat down at.

A Slice of Swedish Workout Culture

Fitness is a big deal in Sweden, as in many other parts of the world. I have been very fortunate to been raised in a home where physical activity always has been encouraged. My father is an instructor at a local fitness club. The name in Swedish is “Friskis and Svettis” (F&S), which in English translates to “Healthy and Sweaty.” When I was younger I did not think it was that cool that he was part of that club. Later I realized that “F&S” totally gets it. 

F&S offers excellent workout classes, their instructors are very talented and knowledgeable, have an amazing attitude to wellness and each participant is welcomed there with open arms. Even my mom who generally does not like working out is a regular. Each class has an instructor and a “host”. The host makes sure everyone is doing okay. The instructor is in the middle of the room, and everyone else is working out in a circle around him or her using mainly his or her own body weight. Each class is usually an hour long and gets the participant warmed up, a workout and a cool down/stretching. The total package! F&S is well-known in Sweden and their type of classes can also be found abroad, for example in London, Brussels and Paris. I thought I would introduce you to F&S so my international readers can get a feel for one type of “Swedish workout culture.” As a side note, in Sweden a doctor can prescribe a person to “workout”. This means that the doctor writes a prescription, the patient will then bring that prescription to the fitness club and the person workouts for free. Its frekin amazing!!! The following is an interview I did with my father. 

How did it all start? A guy named Johan Holmsäter started F&S in Stockholm 1978. To the first class only one participant came. The numbers increased rapidly and today F&S has more than 500,000 members (total population of Sweden is 9 million). Holmsäter had an idea that sports and the area of medicine could benefit from each other. F&S’s goal is to make sure the participant has a good time when he or she is there and is eager to return. The workout should be fun, feel good both physically as well as mentally. The instructor’s dream is to see the participant smiling. Hopefully that smile carries over in everyday life.

When was the local chapter started in Laholm? F&S in Laholm started in 1988. The club has currently 700 participants and those 700 visits the club 22 000 times per year.

When did you join F&S and in what capacity? In the early 90ties I joined as a participant. Soon thereafter I became a host and was one for 12 years. In 2008 I became a certified instructor.

Why did you choose F&S and not another organization? I liked the whole concept! Everyone was welcomed – young, old, men and women of all levels of fitness. I had heard that the instructors were very good. I would like to add that all instructors are volunteers, doing this on their own free time. We don’t get paid more than a symbolic sum of money to cover the cost of workout shoes, clothes, music, and the occasional travel expenses. We all create our own workout programs from scratch before each term start.

What kind of experience do you as an instructor wish to give your participants? I want them to feel energized at the end of the class. Both physically and mentally, in accordance to the idea the club is founded on.

What is the biggest misconception about fitness that you wish to clear up? That you can workout hard a few times and that is it. That this would make you fit. No, you have to find your own personal way of exercising and stick with it. Another misconception is that you can be too old or too fat to workout. Anyone can start a workout routine! At F&S we have different levels of intensity in our classes and we are happy to guide our members to the correct class.

How do you choose which type of music that goes along with your workouts? First, I need to like it myself! I also think of my regular participants and what type of music they may like. I mix songs from older bands, like Rolling Stones with newer artists such as…what’s the name of the girl who wore a meat dress?...Lady Gaga. There are also rules to follow with regards to beats per minute etc.

Why do you think that people in Sweden like the type of “group exercise” that F&S offers? It’s a tradition in Sweden that people workout together. People feed off each other energies and workout harder together. It’s also a place for meetings to occur. People find like-minded friends and their social network can expand. We even offer classes outside during summertime - Swedish people LOVE to be outside. We workout in the same manner as inside, but on a flat lawn.

How have you seen the organization evolve over the years and how do you see the future for F&S? Our local chapter has built our own fitness center. Before we rented gymnasiums found in local schools. The creation of our own space has allowed us to offer more classes at better times during the day and evening. This has been fantastic! As a result, we have doubled the number of annual participants. The added classes are for example specialized weightlifting classes, yoga classes and a class where all the participants have their own elliptical machine and an instructor leads the group. I think F&S has a bright future as an organization. We see the number of members increase every year.

Thank you dad! Not just for letting me interview you, but for the fact you and mom always emphasized the importance of wellness while I was growing up. Even though I maybe did not show it at the time, I clearly listened :)

Outdoor Gyms

In order to stay healthy, fit and strong, it’s always good to switch up your workouts now and then. It’s also good to workout outdoors in fresh air in a nice, aesthetically pleasing environment. And it’s important to have an audience when you flex your muscles. Wait whaaat? Okay, what I meant with my last comment is this: are outdoor gyms for fitness freaks or for people wanting to show off, so called posers? Or both? I will hereby offer a scientifically based (not), slightly (read very) biased review of three outdoor gyms I have workout at in the past year. Two in Sweden: one in Skummeslövsstrand (a gym in a wooded area in a small seaside town next to Laholm, my place of birth), one located in Pildammsparken (a park in my new hometown Malmö), and one gym in the US, right off Ocean Drive in Miami, Florida.

The gym in Skummeslövsstrand is awesome! Clear pictures of instructions of how to use the equipment are displayed. Fun things to do such as throwing tires in the air, ropes to hit up and down, free weights made of wood, and  tires laid out so you can jump in and out of them army style. For some reason I got totally hooked on turning over a tractor tire over and over. And over. And over. Who knew that was a thing a city girl like me would love?! The equipment, except for the rubber in the various tires, are all made of wood and it fits right in with the environment. You can get a great workout here for sure. Audience part? Almost none. It’s in a secluded area, but yeah there were some tennis courts next to the gym. So no need to dress up for this one. You can easily roll out of bed looking like a troll and workout here. Chances are you will fit in with the other trolls living in the woods nearby.

Next up, the gym at Pildammsparken (I keep calling it PilGRIMSparken, a Danish jewelry company, making my family having to correct me all the time). It’s located in a park with a fabulous view of a lake. A lake with swans. The equipment is made of mostly metal and the “floor” of the gym is soft.  So this is more of a real gym feeling. You are very focused on the task at hand. This gym is definitely frequented by a lot of people. People who wish to be seen…guys without their shirts on….but also by people just walking in the park. Tourists posing for pictures with the equipment. My sister and I got obsessed with conquering the rope. Yes a rope to climb straight up a few meters. However, our technique sucked and we ended up swinging for a bit before sliding down causing the guys without the shirts on to giggle. Well, mission accomplished to have an audience. Although we were not impressing anyone. Our plan was to go home and YouTube it and come back and knock the socks off of everyone. But later a guy climbed up the rope easily and his technique was clear and we think we can do it now. We will try it some other day. Hehehe…

Ocean Drive, Miami, Florida. Right by the ocean. The possibility of being surrounded by tanned people working out here is good, very good. And yes they are tanned and ripped. But okay, let me try to focus on the equipment. It’s pretty cool as there are actual machines there such as Stairmasters and ones you can do chest press with. You would think with all the sand around the machines that would make them stall but they work great. The scenery is amazing. You can see the street, Ocean Drive and all the fabulous cars and people, and you can see the ocean or at least a glimpse of it. Audience factor? Huge audience. You come there to be seen. And yes, I worked out dressed in a bikini. Does that make me a poser? Probably…

So do I recommend outdoor gyms? Absolutely. Being outdoors and trying new things is right up the alley for a Viking Princess. So what about the audience factor? That people only frequent such places to show off? Honestly, I feel that whatever makes people move and make sure their muscles are strong is a good thing. I will support that any day. And these gyms are free. Free is good and so is being in shape.

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

I have been told it’s when you step out of your comfort zone, that real personal growth can take place. Well this past Saturday I did just that. I swam in a race in the river Lagan which flows outside of the city center of my hometown Laholm in Sweden. I like to push boundaries and see how far I can take things. This has in the past few years allowed me to have some intense experiences, especially in the realms of traveling and fitness. I like to think I say “yes” to life and instead of backing down, stepping up to a challenge. However, I am also a bit wimpy. I know! Not very "Viking-esque" of me! I get cold extremely easily, even in the warmest Caribbean waters, and I have a great fear of sharks. The shark fear was irrational in this setting, although the salmons living in the river can get quite large. But the fear of cold was real. Or so I thought. 

Going in

The race called Lagasimmet was held the first time in 1984. Growing up, my sister and I were members of the local swim team and were decent swimmers. When I was 18 I was signed up to swim in the race. That year it got canceled. The swim team is yet again sponsoring the race. Since I found myself in Sweden at the time of the race I decided to say “yes” and participate. For full disclosure, I should also say I am not just being a promoter of embracing life; I am also defending my honor. My father has completed the race and so has my older sister. I needed to swim. I enlisted two of my best friends to do it with me (in the end a third friend, my “sister in law”, also swam in the race). We did three practice runs at a local pool and it felt okay. 

Race

On the day of the race I covered myself with a thick layer of coconut oil (my favorite type of oil) to combat the cold. The weather was glorious, but again, I get cold even on vacation in the Dominican Republic and Grand Cayman Island. An old swim colleague of mine told me to put Vaseline on my joints and so I did. My dad’s fitness club held the warm up exercises and my dad himself was the Master of Ceremony. He announced it was 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the water (but can you trust that?!) and 53 swimmers signed up for the race. There were two sections of the race, one for the hardcore swimmers and one for the ones who wanted to do it for fun. My friends and I were all part of the last group. 

Enjoying the swim

Getting closer to the start, I was nervous. Not because I thought I couldn’t do it, I know I am in good enough shape. And a relative to me, driving a jet ski, was part of the security team following the swimmers. The team was ready to fish anyone up from the waters if need be. No, I was scared for the imminent coldness of the river water.  I walked down a sand path, onto smaller rocks and finally into the icy, murky waters of Lagan. 

Finish line

Icy?! Haha! Nope! It was great! It was warm and even though the water was brownish it felt like silk on the skin. I can honestly say I enjoyed swimming in the river! Friends and family followed the race from the shore and yelled encouraging words. It was amazing to see my little town from the perspective of being inside the river. The time flew by. The finish line appeared and the crowd gathered there cheered us on. I ran up from the water hand in hand with one of my best friends. Got a medal and something to drink. I am so happy I said “yes” to this experience and it just shows how important it is to fully embrace all kinds of  life experiences. And in addition, I now have the same bragging rights as my father and sister and can always say I have swam in the river.

Gym etiquette

Summer of 2014 is rapidly approaching, but I have never been a fan of trying to get in shape for the sole purpose of fitting into a bathing suit. And I grew up right next to the nicest beaches Sweden has to offer. And yes we have beaches; we don’t have icy conditions all year round! One can say, our LIFE is rapidly approaching (oh dear, if you are reading this, I hate to break it to you, but your life is already HERE), so let’s get crackin at getting in shape for life…if you start today you are already on your way to wellness. However, I feel there is certain etiquette for how to behave at a gym.

For me, the gym is a holy place. It’s a place I go to get the stressors of the day out and to have energy flow back into my system. I don’t walk into a church disrespecting the believers by dropping the f word, so please don’t contaminate my place of worship. (Or one of my many places of worship I should say). Here are some pointers, which in my book, makes the gym an amazing place to be!

Please do: Wipe down the machines after you are done with them. The bottles filled with cleaning liquid with rags on top of them scattered around the room (at most gyms) are there for a reason.

Don’t: Talk on your cell phone. Yes I understand you may need to answer a quick phone call, but a play by play reenactment of the previous night’s events is not something the rest of us need to hear. (And I am sorry, girl on the treadmill next to me, but no I don’t think the cute guy from last night’s clubbing extravaganza likes you as he ignored you the whole time).

Do: Help out other gym goers if they need help spotting at the weight lifting section.

Don’t: Gawk at the girl you are spotting so much you let her drop weights on herself (yes that hurt my already mangled up ribcage).

Do: Compliment girls/guys that are in shape (in a non creepy manner, and this can be tricky) and ask for advice on how they got fit.

Don’t: Pretend to be recovering from a heavy lift session so you can stand watching others lift creepily. (Man, I wish I could give more straightforward advice on how not to be a creep in the gym, but its a fine line to walk!)

Do: Ask the trainers or people working at the gym if you need help to find the proper form for a certain machine. This will allow you to get more out of the workout and will prevent injuries (and honestly will make you look less silly, and that’s a goal in itself, right?)

Don’t: Wear a lot of makeup to the gym girls! I understand some makeup may have to be worn if you are coming directly from work or if you feel you need to cover up acne etc. But a full fresh face of heavy liquid foundation is not the way to go.

Do: Drink water (maybe green tea or put cucumber in ordinary water) to feel refreshed and prevent dehydration. However, you may be approached by a stranger asking if you are drinking beer at the gym (buddy, it was green tea!). This can be a conversation opener or a nuisance, whichever way you take it.

Don’t: Drink sugary energy drinks and think that is okay. It’s not.

Do: Wear appropriate gym wear, black yoga pants with colorful tops is my way to go.

Don’t: Wear jeans while running on a treadmill. First, you are going to sweat your butt off in a very gross manner and second, how can that not hurt you???

Do: Join a gym if you can and want to. Or workout outside where some – but not all – of these etiquette advice apply.

Oh and guys, please don’t skip leg day :)

I dare you to...yoga

The first time I ever attended a yoga class was 11 years ago. I mainly signed up to see what it was all about. And okay, for the “cool” factor of saying “yes, I do yoga." My workout routines at that time were very hard core with me working out for 1-2 hours per day (sometimes twice a day - crazy! I know!). But it was when I incorporated 2 yoga sessions per week into my routine that I saw a real change in my body. I felt strong and I looked MUCH more toned overall. Yoga has also helped keep my sanity when life has been tough on me. I have heard friends say they are a bit intimated to go into a yoga class as they don’t know how to act. Well, here is some advice:

Just try it! I have seen men and women of all shapes and sizes do yoga. Yoga is not a competition. Nobody will judge you for not reaching your toes or the floor. Some people are flexible bending forward, some to the side. Some, not at all. And it’s all okay. You will most likely become more flexible the longer you practice.

Yoga people, we are a friendly bunch. I have taken yoga classes in several different countries. Everywhere I have seen people moved their mats to make sure a latecomer can fit their mat on the floor. We always make space, always. One of my teachers gently says when the class is rather full: “Just test out your real estate", meaning make sure you don’t poke your neighbor in the eye.

And yes mat. If you are trying yoga for the first time and taking the class at a gym and not a bona fide yoga studio, don’t take the thick mattresses some gyms have. Go for the real yoga mats, "sticky mats" as they are called, if they are available. If the gym does not have them, ask friends if anyone has one you can borrow if you don’t want to buy one when you are just trying it out. The mat makes a whole lot of difference. If you are in St. Louis, USA, I will lend you mine! In Sweden my mother currently practices using my very first yoga mat that I dragged across the Atlantic to Sweden once upon a time.

If you feel intimidated, pick a spot not necessarily in the back of the room (as you want to see the teacher clearly) but perhaps next to a wall. That always made me feel safer. You can use the wall for balancing poses and overall feel like you don’t have anyone to consider to one of your sides. If at any time in the class you need a break, go into the resting pose called “child’s pose” (Google it before your first session).  It’s perfectly fine and no one cares. It just shows you are listening to your body and that brings respect in this kind of crowd.

If you try a yoga class with one instructor and you don’t like it, have another go with a different instructor. I have definitely had some excellent instructors over the years and some not so great.

In the end of each session, it’s customary to lay down on the floor and being still in “the corpse pose” also known as "savasana." Meditation may intimidate people. But fear not, just take this moment to pause. Stress is such a deadly (yes, I wrote deadly) factor in our society today and anything we can do to combat it, by for example learning how to be comfortable while being still for a few minutes, is great.

Another health benefit is that you really get to know your body. I know models that swear they are better at their profession because of yoga. You learn how to listen to your body and may be able to detect possible health issues quicker than if you don’t practice.  You become more aware of your breathing. Musicians - Maybe this is something for you?

Although yoga can be as strenuous of a workout as you make it, sometimes you don’t sweat that much and can easily go to a causal dinner afterwards without having to hit the showers first. Oh yes I have done this! (For the record, I do shower regularly). 

I sincerely hope you give yoga a try! 

My current favorite yoga pose? Crow.
Namaste!