Diaries of an Exercise Virgin: Y-7 Part 2

Photo y7studio.tumblr.com/

This post was written by Contributor Gabriela Del Valle

As part of this series, I’ve been trying a different fitness class every week. First it was SoulCycle, then Y-7. Logic would dictate that the third post would be about a third fitness class, but since I chose to sign up for Y-7’s two-week unlimited membership, I’m going to dedicate this week’s post to my second week of Y-7.

Like I mentioned before, I love Y-7. I love that I can listen to Drake and Fetty Wap while doing yoga. I love that the instructors don’t hesitate to correct your form if it looks like you need help, but also understand that everyone in the room is at a different level. Most importantly, I love the feeling of accomplishment that I’ve gotten from slowly but surely improving my practice, from becoming incrementally stronger and more flexible.

I notice a drastic change in my mood on the days I’m able to attend a Y-7 class; I feel more relaxed, more energized, and far less tense. Lately, I’ve also become aware of any tension I’m carrying in my body, especially on the days I can’t go to class. In order to combat this, I’ve started to do sun salutations in my living room on days where my work or school schedule prevents me from attending classes.

This week’s tips for other exercise virgins:

·       Take the lessons you learn in your fitness classes (be it SoulCycle, Y-7, or any other class you enjoy) and try to apply them to a daily routine.

·       If your schedule prevents you from doing a full workout on a particular day, work out at home instead. Even a little bit of activity makes a huge difference.

·       The changes you notice in your flexibility, strength, or resistance levels will be incremental—be proud of them! 

Diaries of an Exercise Virgin: Y7

Signing up: Y7’s website is fairly straightforward. From the homepage, you can access a master class schedule that lists all the classes available for the week. They also have an iPhone app where you can check schedules and book classes, which further streamlines the process. In order to sign up for a class, you have to create an account, which takes pretty much no time. Unlike SoulCycle’s website, there isn’t a page for each studio, so you have to make sure to filter by location so you don’t accidentally book a class in West Hollywood when you live in Williamsburg. Not that it happened to me, but it almost happened to me.

When signing up for a class, you have the option to either make a single reservation or make a recurring reservation, which will automatically book a class for you on a regular schedule. While the recurring reservation option is great for people who know they’re into the classes, I suggest starting out with one class and seeing if you enjoy it.

A single class costs $25; a two week unlimited pass for new students is $45. Take the plunge and buy the two week pass. If you live in New York, you’ll be able to try out different instructors and studios around the city and find the one that works best for you. It’s worth the extra $20, and it’s an endless amount of classes for less than the cost of two.

Preparing for class: After signing up for a class, you’ll receive an email confirmation with the location, time, and instructor name. Make sure to get to class at least 15 minutes early; depending on your location and what time you go to class, it can take a while to get changed into your yoga attire. And definitely wear clothing you don’t mind sweating in. Upon checking in, you can choose to rent a mat ($2) and/or a skidless towel ($3). Since I don’t own a yoga mat (yet) I rented one, but chose to opt for a regular towel (free) instead of the skidless option.

Each studio comes equipped with deodorant, hand sanitizer, makeup wipes, q-tips, whatever you need to get prepped for class. There are large cubbies where you can store your belongings, but space is limited so again, make sure to show up early. After showing up to a SoulCycle class after the lights had already dimmed and the class had begun, I cannot stress how important it is to show up on time. Also bring a water bottle. Bring. A. Water. Bottle. I can’t stress that enough, either.
 

The class: I noticed two very distinct things upon walking into the yoga studio: it was super hot in there, and one of my favorite Drake songs was playing ("Right Hand," in case you were wondering). The pre-class email mentioned it would be hot inside (80 – 90°F, to be exact), but the whole winter-in-New-York thing made me forget what warmth even felt like. The lights were off and the only light came from various candles scattered across the room. Don’t worry, it’s totally fire-proof.

I laid out my mat in the middle row – despite having arrived early, I didn’t get there early enough to get a spot in the back corner where no one could see me fall over. The class started out with breathing exercises and affirmations led by Kate, the instructor – “You are not here to compete with others. You are here to engage in your own practice, to strengthen yourself, to push yourself. If you find yourself losing breath, repeat this mantra: I belong. I belong here.”

Yoga instructors often tell you to let go of all your anxieties, tensions, and stressors during your practice. Or, more specifically, to use your practice to let go of all your anxieties, tensions, and stressors. As a chronically stressed-out and anxious person, this is something I wish I could do, but I’m not great at it. As Kate told us to clear our minds and release our tensions, I tried harder than ever before to do it. And it worked. 

We did a variety of stretches that tested my ability to control my muscles. I found myself being able to go a bit further than I thought I could, but also kept my physical limits in mind. That is, I pushed my limits but also knew when to stop. At one point during free flow – while a Lil Kim song was playing – I found myself retreating back into Child’s Pose for a minute in order to catch my breath while the people around me did complex headstands, but I learned to be okay with that.

I’m not great at yoga. I’m not flexible enough to touch my toes and I fell over four different times while in Warior III. But I left the class feeling energized and completely, if temporarily, relieved of stress. The tension I had been carrying in my back earlier that day was gone.
 

The aftermath: I liked the class so much I immediately booked one for the next day, and will continue to attend classes for the next two weeks. I was a little sore afterwards, but completely relieved of all mental and bodily tension.
 

Would I return? See above. Yes yes yes yes yes.

Tips for other Y7 virgins:

·       Show up early! This is proving to be a tip for all classes, but with reason. Plus, you won’t be let in after class starts.

·       Bring water. Drink water.

·       Wear breathable clothing because you will sweat a lot.

·       If you feel overwhelmed, take a minute to gather yourself, then get back to work.

·       Don’t focus on anyone else’s practice. Focus on your own body and your own breath, even if the people around you are contorting their bodies in ways you didn’t know were possible and you fall over a thousand times in an hour.

Diaries Of A Fitness Virgin: SoulCycle

Last week, I explained how one of the most important things I need to remember is that there’s no reason to be intimidated by fitness classes, since everyone was a beginner once. I decided to tackle my intimidation problem head-on by attending what I personally think is the most intimidating of all NYC fitness classes: SoulCycle. Why am I so intimidated by it? Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe it’s all the locations. Maybe it’s the branded gear. Maybe it’s the massive following. I went to an evening class taught by Lori A. at the West 77th Street location. Here’s how it went down.

Signing up: Signing up for SoulCycle is incredibly easy. You go to their website, select your location, choose your bike, and check out. If it’s your first class, you have to call the studio directly and make your reservation by phone instead of online, and the class is $20 as opposed to the usual $34, and your cycling shoes are free. When you sign up, the person reminds you to eat a light snack about 30 minutes before class and show up early so the employees can help you get settled. I did neither.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. I entirely forgot about the snack, but I did show up ten minutes before the class was supposed to start. Unfortunately, ten minutes wasn’t early enough. I had enough time to sign up for the class, strap in to my very confusing cycling shoes, put my clothes in a locker, and get in line for the bathroom. I looked around at all the fit, beautiful people in the room, all decked out in SoulCycle attire. I was intimidated, but it was too late to back out; class was starting soon. The bathroom line was so long that by the time I was finished, the class had already started. I walked into a dim, loud room and prepared myself for what would be the most strenuous workout experience of my young life.

The class: As I mentioned earlier, you have to rent cycling shoes (unless you already have your own), because you have to clip your feet on to the pedals. I assume that part of the reason they tell newcomers to arrive early is so someone can show them how to clip their feet in. Too bad I showed up after the class had already started, because it took me a full five minutes to figure out how to clip both my feet in. Another important thing I missed: instruction on how to adjust your seat height. I was frantically pedaling away while also trying to adjust my seat height to no avail for about ten minutes. Luckily, the instructor (a wonderful woman named Lori) noticed something was wrong, came over to me, and helped me get fully adjusted.

I’d like to say it was smooth sailing after that, but that would be a blatant lie. It was hard. Like, really hard. We alternated between cycling while sitting on the bike seats and cycling while standing on the pedals, often leaning forward. There were times when we had to do push-up-esque exercises while continuing to cycle. At one point, we had to do arm exercises with small, five pound weights. It seemed easy at first, but by the end of it I felt like my arms were going to fall off. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I don't know how to work out.

During the first half of the class, all I wanted was for it to be over so I could go home and collapse onto my bed. My legs were sore, I was tired and sweaty, and I felt like I was the only person in the room who had no idea what they were doing. After a certain point – aka when a song I really like, “Justify My Thug” by Jay Z came on – I started to get more into it. It was hard, but I was sure I wasn’t the only person who was struggling to keep up. I began to notice Lori walking around the room, going up to people when it seemed like they were struggling or needed some help or extra motivation.

The last five minutes of the class consisted of a yoga-like cooldown period that can only be described as very zen. Lori turned the music down and talked us through a series of stretches, peppering her instruction with affirmations and encouragement. “It’s not about numbers,” she said. “Not about speed or resistance numbers, not about number of calories burned, not about fitbit or weight numbers.”

When the fluorescent lights came on and everyone got off their bikes, I felt great. Exhausted and sweaty, but also relaxed and proud of myself for having gone to a class I was so intimidated by. While everyone else gracefully unclipped themselves from their bikes, I realized I had no idea how to release my shoes from the pedals. So I did what anyone in my position would’ve done: I took my shoes off, then removed them from the bike with my hands. I felt pretty dumb for not knowing what to do, but the job was done.

The aftermath: After class, Lori congratulated me for attending my first class and doing well despite my initial struggles. I left the class sore, sweaty, and starving – all signs of a good workout. My inner thighs were sore from the bike seat, but that was to be expected.

Would I return? In a heartbeat. Lori was an awesome instructor and provided a great experience.

Tips for other SoulCycle virgins:

• Browse through the instructor profiles to get a feel for what kind of music they’re into. It’s a good idea to choose an instructor with similar music tastes to yours; the soundtrack is a huge part of the experience.
• Show up early! They tell you fifteen minutes, but I would suggest twenty just in case the bathroom lines are long.
• Eat a snack beforehand so you aren’t starving in the middle of class.

Diaries of a Fitness Virgin: The Beginning

I have a confession: I don’t know how to exercise. Seriously. Due to a fateful combination of my being incredibly uncoordinated and incredibly out of shape, I don’t know how to work out. And due to yet another fateful combination of ignorance (as in, “What the hell am I doing? How do you even lift a weight?”) and intimidation (as in, “Everyone at this gym is so fit and strong and I can’t even run a mile!”), I’ve never really tried that hard to learn how to work out. My roommate once tried to get me to do push-ups and I collapsed on the floor after the fourth one.

It’s not that I haven’t tried before. I’ve taken a couple yoga classes here and there. While I was studying abroad in Argentina, I signed up for one of the most expensive gyms in Buenos Aires with a few of my friends, hoping that the exorbitant price would guilt me into exercising. And it did. At first, it was a chore. My friends would have to drag me in, reminding me of all the money I had already dropped on a fancy gym membership. After a while, it actually became an enjoyable experience. I never went more than three times a week because of my class schedule, and all I ever did was run on the treadmill and do crunches, but it started to feel good.

So I figured it’s time I actually figure this whole exercise thing out, and I’m going to stick to it. It’s going to be hard: as of right now, I can’t run a mile without stopping. I can’t even run half a mile without stopping. I still don’t know how to properly lift a weight. But figuring all of that out is part of the journey.

Here’s how it’s going to work: with Kelly at my (figurative, but sometimes also literal) side, I’m going to try out various fitness classes around the city. I’ll write about my experience there: what was the atmosphere like? How was the instructor? Were they helpful? Did I feel intimidated? How did I feel afterwards?

The ultimate goal is that I find out what combination of things works for me, while also giving fellow exercise virgins an inside look at the world of NYC fitness. A few things to remember, for me and for any other exercise virgins who want to join in on the fun:

It's not all about looks
One of the most talked-about benefits of working out is its effect on your physical appearance. While that’s great, it’s not the main focus of this project. On the contrary, my main goal is to improve how I feel on the inside. I want to feel healthier stronger, and more fit; if I also end up looking healthier, stronger and more fit, that’s just an added bonus.

Everyone was a beginner once
Let’s face it: for those of us who don’t know what we’re doing, gyms and fitness classes are intimidating and, quite frankly, pretty scary. Gyms are full of mysterious-looking equipment I have no idea how to use. Exercise classes are populated by devotees who know exactly what they’re doing. But they were beginners once, too. Everyone had to start somewhere, and you shouldn’t let yourself be intimidated or feel judged in a place where people are all striving to improve themselves.

Baby steps are key... 
Like I’ve said a million times already, I can’t run a mile without stopping. Naturally, I don’t expect to be able to run a marathon a week after my first workout. It’s important to pace yourself and to set realistic goals so you don’t get burnt out or give up when you don’t immediately achieve the results you want.

...But don’t underestimate yourself
Even though it’s important to pace yourself, it’s equally important to not underestimate yourself. My biggest problem when it comes to working out is that I’ll find something that’s comfortable and I’ll be scared to push myself beyond that. But pushing yourself to do better is the entire point.

Warm Up Your Winter Skin

Freezing winter weather calls for lots of warm layers, hot drinks, and cute hats and gloves. Unfortunately another common effect of winter weather is dry, flaky skin and chapped lips. Here are some tips on how to have your best skin during – and despite – the coldest months of the year.

Hydrate from the inside out

Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and your body is approximately 60% water. When you’re properly hydrated, your skin is more plump and elastic which makes it less likely to crack. 

Staying hydrated isn’t only essential for maintaining healthy skin, but also for your overall well-being. When the temperature dips below freezing, you may be tempted to reach for a hot cup of coffee or cocoa, but these beverages can actually dehydrate you since they are diuretics. Make sure to stay hydrated by drinking enough water every day and by spreading out your water consumption throughout the day instead of drinking an entire day’s worth of water at once. If you consume a lot of water in a short period of time, your body and skin won’t be able to absorb it all!

Consider investing in a cool water bottle to ensure you’re always hydrated, whether you’re at the office or out for a run.

Additionally, apps like Plant Nanny (available for free download at the the App Store and Google Play) remind you to drink water throughout the day and reward you with a tiny virtual garden that grows as you stay hydrated. The app takes your height, weight, and activity level into account in order to gauge the amount of water you should be drinking each day.

Exfoliate to make way for clear skin

Exfoliating removes dry, dead skin cells from your skin’s surface and accelerates the growth of smooth, young cells in their place. Use a gentle exfoliant – like Frank Body’s Creamy Face Scrub or Lush’s Ocean Salt – once to three times a week depending on your skin type.  

Your face isn’t the only part of your body that needs to be exfoliated! When your lips are chapped, use a gentle lip product like Lush’s Lip Scrub to remove the dry skin. Ocean Salt also works wonders on dry elbows and knees.

Over-exfoliating can actually dry out your skin, so make sure not to exfoliate more than two or three times a week! Exfoliating in moderation is imperative, because it allows moisturizers to more fully penetrate your skin. Some products, like Aqua Glycolic Face Cream, will simultaneously exfoliate and moisturize.

Moisturize at least once a day

After washing or exfoliating your face, allow your skin to dry before applying a moisturizer. Make sure to use the right moisturizer for your skin type. If  you have oily or combination skin, use a light moisturizer like Yes To Carrots Day Facial Moisturizer or Glossier Priming Moisturizer, as heavier products can cause you to over-produce oil or break out. If you have dry skin, use extra-hydrating moisturizers like Clinique Moisture Surge Intense or First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream.

Don’t forget about the rest of your body! Products like Yes To Carrots Hand Cream, Cetaphil’s Daily Advance Ultra Hydrating Lotion, and CeraVe Renewing Skin Lotion will keep your skin soft from your neck to your toes.

Protect your skin from sun damage

Sun damage is the last thing on anyone’s mind during the harsh winter months, but it’s important to protect your skin year-round! Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your face and any exposed areas of your body, even when the temperatures are below zero.