CategoriesUncategorized

WINE(d) Down Restorative Yoga in Candlelight

For the past year, Bianca has directed and managed our Yoga program here at Flow Fitness. She unfortunately will be moving to San Diego later this month. To bid her adieu, join us for a 50-minute “Candlelight Restorative Yoga” class with a glass of red wine. The middle of the week is a great time to re-center yourself and restore your mind and body. Wine – red wine in moderation – is known to provide the body antioxidants that reduces stress and anxiety. Combining that with yoga on Wednesday evening may be just what you need to get through the rest of the week!

CategoriesUncategorized

YOGA AT THE PARK – Free Event w/ Yerbana

We are excited to announce that Flow Fitness will be participating in hosting Yerbana Yoga In The Park, Seattle’s largest weekly FREE yoga gathering. Bianca will be leading us in an All-Levels Yoga practice on Thursday August 4th at 6:30pm.

Sign up is not required to participate! Bring your mat, a friend, and good vibes.

See you there!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yerbana-yoga-in-the-park-tickets-348545548117

CategoriesUncategorized

Yoga Pose of the Month – June

Our June Yoga pose of the month is Side Crow (Parsva Balasana)! Side Crow is a powerful arm balance inversion that strengthens your upper body as well as core. Although this pose takes patience and focus, it can reduce mental stress.

To get to side crow, begin in chair pose. Bring your hands to touch at your heart center. Next, twist your top body by hooking your elbow on the side of your opposite thigh. Give a deep bend to your elbows and place your hands evenly on the mat. Slowly lift up one foot at a time, finding balance as they both come off the mat to balance on your palms.

CategoriesUncategorized

A Celebration of SELF – Donation Yoga Class

🌈 A Celebration of SELF🌈 Yoga Flow!

On Sunday June 19th at our Fremont location, Flow trainer and yoga teacher, Segale, will be hosting a body positive, all gender inclusive yoga class in which all proceeds benefit @lamberthouse .

This class is geared toward members of the Seattle LGBTQ+ community. Come as you are in your favorite Pride gear and spend time after class sharing snacks and drinks.

There are three pricing options for this class: $10, $20, $30 or a free option as we do not want cost to be a barrier to this event. If you’re able to donate, please do so as this benefits Lambert House.
Lambert House is a organization advocating for LGBTQ+ youth, connecting them to peers and mentors to help them thrive.
You can sign up via Mindbody or at www.flowfitnessseattle.com. See you on the 19th!

CategoriesUncategorized

WINE(d) Down Restorative Flow +Inapropro Candle Co. POP-UP!

Join Bianca for a 50-minute Candlelight Restorative Yoga class with a glass of red wine plus a POPUP with @inapropro_candle_co !
.
The middle of the week is a great time to re-center yourself and restore your mind and body. Wine – red wine in moderation – is known to provide the body antioxidants that reduces stress and anxiety. Combining that with yoga on Wednesday evening may be just what you need to get through the rest of the week!
.
Inapropro Candles are made for everyBODY. They are handmade from just three ingredients – Natural Soy Pillar Wax, Color Chips, and Cotton Wick.

Enjoy yoga, wine, and check out these beautiful candles. See you next week!

CategoriesUncategorized

Mental Health Month Event – Wine(d) Down Yoga

As we near the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, join us in Fremont for Wine(d) Down Restorative Yoga Wednesday May 25th at 7pm. Bianca will lead a slow candlelit practice, which will help restore your body and ease your mind by stretching out tension and enjoying a glass of wine on us. The middle of the week is a great time to re-center yourself and restore. Wine – red wine in moderation – is known to provide the body antioxidants that reduces stress and anxiety. Combining that with yoga on Wednesday evening may be just what you need to get through the rest of the week!

CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Nourish. Uncategorized

5 Behaviors That Support Weight Loss Goals

Being a personal trainer, I have seen clients try a variety of diets, such as keto, paleo and Mediterranean, with varied success. I can tell you with certainty that success had very little to do with what diet they were on. However, I have observed five common behaviors among those who were successful that can applied to any weight-loss regimen. If you are looking to lose weight and keep it off, here are five behaviors you should focus on:

Target consistency over perfection.

If you follow your plan 80% of the time, you will get better, more sustainable results than if you try to be 100% compliant. But be mindful—even if you make good choices throughout the week, you can quickly waste all that effort with weekend splurges. In addition, binging can change your body’s metabolism, forcing it to store extra calories again. So strive to be compliant 80% of the each day rather than 80% of each week.

Find ways to reduce stress.

Life is stressful on your mind and body, and weight loss can add additional stress. You’re asking your body to work hard, and changing your diet takes effort. Stress can lead to poor nutrition choices and low energy. To reduce stress, plan both your workouts and meals for the week in advance. You should also create a list of stress-relieving activities and set aside at least 15 minutes a day to complete them.

Focus on diet first, then exercise.

Weight loss starts in the kitchen. While many would prefer to work out more rather than change the way they eat, you can’t outwork a bad diet. Exercise will help expedite weight loss, as it burns calories and raises your metabolism, but any successful weight loss program needs to focus on nutrition first.

Doing less is better.

Complex diets can be overwhelming and cause additional stress. Focus on a few behaviors that will create a significant impact, such as cutting out late-night snacking, sweets or drinking, and do those well. If you try to do too much, you will end up doing a lot of things sub-optimally. This is a surefire way to waste energy and create more stress. Identify what is truly important and focus your energy on those few behaviors.

Get help!

If you’re serious about losing weight, you need help. A dietitian or health coach can save you lots of time creating meal plans, and a personal trainer can provide you with the most effective workouts. Getting professional help not only gives you expertise, accountability and support, but they also relieve a lot of stress—all of which greatly increases your chance of success.

Weight loss is hard; you will have setbacks, and that’s ok – don’t expect perfection. By focusing on these five behaviors, weight loss can not only be achievable, but also sustainable in the long term. Take control of your health and your fitness and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Learn more about our “Healthy Lifestyles Program” that will help you create habits around nutrition, exercise and stress relief that will last a lifetime.

McDonalds Drink Size ComparisonCategoriesBlog Live Fit. Move. Nourish. Uncategorized

What we can learn from the Japanese about health

Japan is widely considered one of the healthiest countries in the world, with one of the highest life expectancy rates (84 years, versus 78 in the U.S.). And while their older population should make them more vulnerable, Japan also has the fewest deaths, by far, due to Covid-19 when compared to other G7 countries: only 18 deaths per million (compared to over 1,000 per million in the U.S.).

While many experts believe cultural factors such as a homogenous society; no handshaking or hugs; and pre-existing use of masks have contributed to Japanese success against COVID-19, their population’s extraordinary health is also an important factor. As the Economist reports:

“Although the population of Japan is disproportionally elderly, and therefore potentially more vulnerable to Covid-19, it is also very healthy. Only 4.2% of Japanese adults are obese, a condition known to make the disease more lethal. That is the lowest rate in the OECD and one-tenth of America’s.”

Gyms aren’t as common in Japan as they are in the U.S., and the Japanese smoke and drink more than Americans. So how do they stay so healthy? I had the opportunity to live in Japan years ago, and can point to several cultural norms that we can learn from the Japanese to improve our health.

Focus on Health

In Japanese, the equivalent of “How are you?” is the phrase “Genki desuka?” This translates to “Are you healthy?” Imagine if you were asked about your health numerous times a day; wouldn’t that keep it top-of-mind?

For those of you old enough, you might remember the movie “Gung Ho” with Michael Keaton, where a U.S. car plant is acquired by a Japanese company. In the movie, the new Japanese owners unsuccessfully attempt to implement a morning exercise routine that they do in Japan. Japanese companies still value exercise and give their employees exercise breaks throughout the day.

Key Takeaway: Make health part of your daily discussion. Ask others about their health and what you can do to support them. And think about ways that you can implement healthy practices in your workplace or community.

Value Quality, Not Quantity

The Japanese are infamous for having high quality standards, and this includes their food. It’s virtually impossible to find low-quality food in Japan, even at McDonalds! The “bento” is a traditional Japanese meal that epitomizes the focus on quality over quantity. With high quality standards comes increased prices, as fresh fruit, vegetables and meats are notoriously expensive in Japan; however, high prices helps limit consumption and waste.

Key Takeaway: Resist the urge to “super-size” and focus on smaller quantities of higher-quality foods. Don’t be afraid to indulge in foods high in fat and protein, such as meats, cheese, nuts and avocados, which will help you feel “full” and avoid overeating.

Pro-tip: Eat at local restaurants that use local ingredients, and avoid fast-food and chain restaurants.

Eat Fresh Foods

While you can find a variety of pre-packaged foods in Japan, the Japanese emphasize home-cooked meals and fresh foods. It was typical for me to eat a salad at breakfast. Below is a picture of a traditional Japanese breakfast which typically includes fish, rice, miso soup, eggs and vegetables. This looks a lot healthier than a stack of pancakes covered with syrup and a side of bacon, right?

Key Takeaway: Focus on whole foods. You should have a serving of fresh fruit and/or vegetables at each meal. Even if you don’t have time to cook, make sure you always have some fresh fruit and vegetables on hand to supplement.

Pro-tip: Become a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) member or get a weekly fruit and vegetable subscription to ensure you always have fresh fruit and vegetables on hand.

Walk and Bike More

Walking, biking and public transportation are the main forms of transportation in Japan, and they have one of the best public transportation systems in the world. (It helps when owning a car, parking and taxis are incredibly expensive.) Even if you are taking public transportation in Japan, you typically have a decent walk to and from your destinations, along with any transfers.

Key Takeaway: Before calling Uber or driving, see if walking, biking or public transportation is a feasible option. Not only will it improve your health, but you’ll save some money and the environment.

Portion Control

The Japanese have a phrase “hara hachi bun me,” which translates to “eat to you are 80% full.” This term originated in Okinawa and has been credited with the extraordinary health of Okinawans. Portions in Japan are much smaller than in the U.S., and we Americans constantly felt “hungry” when eating out. Perhaps it was not that the portions were too small, but rather, that our portions are too big! High food prices in Japan also help them to limit portion sizes.

Key Takeaway: Eating until you are 80% full is a simple yet highly effective way to control calories and lose weight. No calorie-counting or dieting is needed. Try it for a week, and you’ll notice a huge difference in the amount you consume and how you feel.

Pro-tip: Try using smaller dishes, which will help you limit portion sizes. When eating out, considering sharing your food.
McDonalds Drink Comparison

In American, our health is deteriorating; we reached an all-time high in obesity rates in 2020 at over 42%. Not only does this make us more susceptible to illness, such as heart disease and COVID-19, but it also takes a significant toll on our economy, as healthcare costs continue to rise. To improve our health, we need cultural changes that emphasize regular exercise and healthy eating habits. This can only happen with support from the government, businesses and communities.

What changes can you make to create a healthier society?

CategoriesFashion Uncategorized

How to Eat for bulking you up?

1. Mountain biking

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.

2. Winter nature trail

Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt.

Create stunning images with as much or as little control as you like thanks to a choice of Basic and Creative modes.

SEAN MORRISON

Photographer

3. Photography

Leos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora inciduntagnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo

CategoriesFashion Uncategorized

Fitness Guide For Beginners

1. Mountain biking

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.

2. Winter nature trail

Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt.

Create stunning images with as much or as little control as you like thanks to a choice of Basic and Creative modes.

SEAN MORRISON

Photographer

3. Photography

Leos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora inciduntagnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo