Local, organic and just plain delicious

It's Sunday morning...your alarm goes off, you jump out of bed, you get ready and you head to the gym for barre without grabbing breakfast. Don't panic...it's not the end of the world. The key post barre workout (or any workout) is to make sure you consume a solid breakfast that will help you recover faster and regain energy.

One of my favorite places to go for breakfast is Atwaters Bakery. Not only is the atmosphere great, but the people are super friendly and they have an amazing brunch menu. They strive to support local farmers and craftsmen which is another reason why you should check it out. You can view the sources here. I'm a huge fan of everything on the menu, so it's hard to pick a favorite. 

Craving breakfast...try the Fruit and Granola Bowl or the Yogurt Parfait. 

Craving lunch...go for the Chilled Gazpacho or the Kale Salad (add chicken for more protein). 

Coffee or Tea? Definitely go for the homemade Chai with steamed almond milk.

Dessert anyone? Keep your heart healthy with some Vegan Dark Chocolate.

You can even grab a bar to go.

Download the Atwaters App, start earning rewards and support your community by buying local!

What's your favorite brunch dish?

5 More Days and Train to Teach

GET READY...only 5 more days until we release 2015-3. I don't know about you...but I can't wait for this new choreo. I'm giving you a heads up because this next release is bringing the BURN. We are stepping things up and are going to challenge you this summer to help you reach your goals and push you outside your comfort zone! 

 

TRAIN TO TEACH. Want to join the amazing team of SB instructors? Now's your chance. We have two upcoming training workshops.

SB BODY BARRE TRAINING 

Saturday JULY 11  - 10am - 5pm
Sunday JULY 12  - 9am - 4pm

Club Fitness Rehoboth

SB BARRE TRAINING
September 12 & 13
10am - 5pm

Under Armour Performance Center

Click here to register and for more info...http://www.soulbodyonline.com/SBTrainings.html 

If you have questions on the upcoming training workshops, please let us know! 

Weekend Wrap Up...Body Barre and Wine Fest

Well...I apologize for taking so long to get this post up, but things have been super crazy in the SB Community (in a good way...of course!!).

HUGE shout out to the entire SoulBody Community for helping us reach 1000 likes on the Facebook page. Keep the energy and excitement high by inviting your friends to come and try a Barre or Body Barre class this summer. We are spreading KINDness all week in my classes because...YOU deserve it!!!

Thank you to BeachFit Baltimore for hosting SoulBody on the lawn at Canton Waterfront on Saturday morning as part of the Baltimore Wine Fest. What a great turn out for SB Body Barre taught by Ann Marie. These ladies rocked it and earned their wine for sure :)

Now let's recap the wine fest. For those of you who had tickets, what did you think? Besides it being incredibly HOT, I definitely would go again next year. Not only was the wine tasty, but there were so many healthy food options.

Stop 1: Hibiscus Berry Sangria. They had other flavors too including a flavored water with strawberry and mint; a pineapple; a watermelon and a green tea. Definitely went back for more later in the day. I didn't catch the name of the vendor but they do go to the Baltimore Farmers Market on Sunday so definitely check them out there.

Stop 2: These grilled stuff avocados from #Juan Guacamole. It was a tough decision, but we opted for the crab cake and grilled chicken. They also had a veggie one with black beans and corn that looked rather tasty. 

  Stop 3: Heavy Seas Alehouse Pork Carnitas Tacos with a corn salsa. 

Stop 4: Saigon Asian Fusion for some fresh veggie spring rolls. I tried the one with tofu and it was delicious (sorry...ate it too fast and forgot to snap a picture).

There were so many healthy options to choose from not to mention it was easy to find things that were dairy free, gluten free and vegan. I wish I could have sampled more...I guess there's always next year. You can check out the participating vendors here. 

Did anyone else discover some other healthy finds this weekend?

Time to Celebrate...SB Hit 1,000!!!

We did it!!! Soul Body hit 1,000 likes on the Facebook page. Thank you all so much for your continued support as we continue to grow and expand the SB Barre and Body Barre programs. We couldn't have done it without you...so as promised, I'll be rewarding (treats TBD) all of you wonderful ladies this week in my barre classes. (Sunday 10AM White Marsh, Monday 5PM Canton, Tuesday 7PM Canton, Thursday 7PM White Marsh)

Some other exciting things are going on this weekend. Tomorrow, June 20th there will be a FREE outdoor SB Body Barre class at Canton Waterfront Park. The class is FREE, but space is limited so register here to reserve your spot. Come burn with us before you all head over to the Baltimore Wine Fest which is SOLD OUT so hopefully you already have a ticket. 

SB Body Barre training is coming to the beach!! All are welcome to come train and teach at a club or studio of your choice!  Sign up today and come to Rehoboth beach to train! Click here to register and for more info.

Something Sweet

We talked juice, we talked smoothies, we talked salads, but we haven't talked sweets. Here is a healthy recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt. I've made this several times and it's definitely a keeper. 

Chocolate Superfood Pudding

Recipe by: Flexible Warrior

1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 3-4 hours)

6-8 dates, seeded 

3-4 Tablespoons raw cacao 

1/4 cup organic coconut oil 

1/2 cup (or less) water or other liquid like almond milk. Start with less and add a little as you go.  

Throw it all in the blender (I use my Vitamix) and blend until smooth. Put it in the fridge for an hour or so. Top with berries, bananas or other fruit. ENJOY!

What's your favorite HEALTHY sweet treat?

Soul Body's headed to the beach!

Summer is in full swing. SB kicked things off at the Baltimore Magazine beach issue launch party with Barre at the Bar with the band. I know one thing...this SB Community is amazing and there is so MUCH too look forward to this summer. If you haven't tried SB Body barre, I suggest you get to one class (or several) this summer. If you are looking for a buddy to go to your first class, let me know and we'll go together. Saturday mornings, 10am at BeachFit Baltimore. First class and post workout Gundalow Juice on me :)

Now for the more exciting news.....drum roll please!!

SOUL BODY is heading to the BEACH. Yes...THE BEACH!!!! We are so excited to be expanding into the "first state." Check back for more updates on the SB Body Barre training July 11th-12th at Club Fitness in Rehoboth, Delaware. 

Fun Beach demo at Club Fitness

And while you're there, be sure to check out Nectar Cafe & Juice Bar. Perfect for grabbing a morning juice before hitting the beach or as an afternoon pick-me-up while shopping. 

Check out this amazing menu of juices...Who said you can't eat healthy while on vacation?!?!

Ann Marie, Soul Body Barre Co-Founder, celebrating summer

Soul Body had a great weekend and we hope you did too!

Feature Friday...Alignment

Happy Friday everyone. Hopefully everyone is ready for the weekend and has plans to stay active and take advantage of some of the outdoor fitness events in Baltimore. Most importantly stay hydrated if you are working out outdoors especially in this crazy heat wave.

Just some random things as we wind down the week. Today's Feature Friday is all about alignment. It wasn't until becoming an SB Barre instructor that I really started focusing on proper body alignment, neutral spine and overall body awareness. Following a hamstring injury, I realized that weak glutes, hamstrings and hips can be the cause of injuries or other lower body pain. Proper alignment in barre will help you get the most out of class all while helping to decrease your risk of injury. If you are looking for a class for cross training to gain flexibility in your hips and strengthen your glute muscles (which are often weaker than we think), then barre is it!!!

Next time you go to a barre class, remember these two charts below and think about your movements, your positioning, what musclesare working and your breath. I promise that bringing more focus to your barre workout will help you to improve and have an even better experience.

Stay cool....and see you at the Barre!!


What have you gained most out of taking barre?

What barre move are you most interested in perfecting?

Round 2: #TuesdayTip

Let's start with a few announcements and homework assignments before getting into today's #TuesdayTip.

1. Please 'LIKE' the Soul Body Facebook Page (only 22 more to hit 1000)

2. Join the new Facebook group: Soul Body Community

3. Give your best friend a hug and tell them how much you appreciate them since yesterday was #NationalBestFriendsDay

4. Write down at least one goal prior to your next barre class

Easy enough?  I think all of those are do-able and can easily be completed in a matter of minutes. Thank you for helping SB become such a great part of the Baltimore Fitness community. We look forward to more events and growing this program with your help!!!

Now for today's tip. We talked Barre, we talked food, now lets talk MOTIVATION. Today's tip is going to help you refocus to stay motivated this summer. I stumbled across an article by Ashley R, founder of Nutritional Fitness, and realized it was too good not to share some of the highlights with all of you. Feel free to check out the full article by Ashley here. 

"We all have off days where our eating doesn’t go as planned and we would rather just relax instead of getting our sweat on. It is essential to listen to your body because being intuitive with your own body is how you create a healthy relationship with both nutrition and fitness. There are days where it is more beneficial to skip a workout, but there are more days where we must push ourselves to get that workout in. When it comes to health and fitness, there cannot be an “all or nothing” approach. If you skip a workout, that is a better reason to wake up, ready to face the day, energized, prepped for a killer workout. If you ate one too many treats the day before, that is not a reason to throw in the towel. Use that to fuel an upcoming workout. Life is too short not to enjoy the things we like—in moderation of course. - 

So how do you stay motivated? When you’re aware of what you want to achieve, that picture of reaching your goal must stay in a safe place in your mind. Life is a gift. You probably always hear that and possibly say it often, but do you truly feel what those words mean? 

You were given this one body to enjoy life, so why not take care of it?  It is true that you will never regret a workout, but you do regret those workouts missed for poor excuses"

Things to take with you:

1. When you do workout, practice that mind-body connection. 

2. Be present and focus on the muscles you are working. Quality over quantity.

3. Learn to take care of your body so you can serve others. 

4. Always choose the positive side. Inspire those around you to follow your healthy actions. 

5. Don’t be hard on yourself. Remember that nothing and no one is perfect. 

6. Aim to demonstrate strength. Push yourself beyond your limits.  

7. Do it for YOU!!


"The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them." --Denis Waitley

A Birthday and the best time of year

Before I get into Farmer's Market talk, I'd like to take a moment to wish Ann Marie, one of Soul Body's founders, a very Happy Birthday. I hope you are celebrating and finding time to relax ...you deserve it. So much has been accomplished this year and I can't wait to see what this upcoming year has in store within the Soul Body Community.

I love this time of year for many reasons...Sunshine, summer vacations, the beach, wine festivals, outdoor events and FARMERS' MARKETS. I hope that you all have taken advantage of the markets that take place through the Baltimore area each week. This is the perfect time of year to support local farmers and stock up on fruits, vegetables, herbs, cheeses and much more. Family farms need YOUR support plus when you buy local it is fresh and reflects the truest flavors. At the farmers market you find an amazing array of produce that you don’t see in your average supermarket.

I also definitely recommended hitting up Charm City Meadworks if you head out to the Fells Point Farmers' Market. If you like wine, you'll love mead. It's similar to wine, but with honey instead of grapes. You can read more about them on their website and learn about how it's made. Did I mention that you can hit up BeachFit at 10am for SB Body Barre and then head over to the farmer's market afterwards?!?! It's just a short walk from the Beachfit Studio and will be well worth it, I promise.

 

I stumbled across this awesome chart that you print out so that you can mark down which local market works with your schedule.

 

 



 

These charts will let you know what's in season so you can plan your meals ahead of time.

 









 

I encourage all of you to take advantage of this time of year. The farmers market is a place to meet up with your friends, bring your children, and get a taste of our wonderful city.

 

 

What do you love most about your local Farmers' Markets?

 

 

Have a great week!!

 

Emily

 

 



Barre Chat

Let's face it, we all are busy so it is critical to get the most out of our time at the gym and at the barre. Here are few tips to maximize your 'barre' time.

• Keep going. Go when you'd rather snooze your alarm, go after a long day of work, go to jump start your weekend and most importantly go for YOU. Trust me your hard work will pay off and you'll feel more energized. When's the last time you ever regretted going to a Barre class? Probably NEVER.

• Find a Routine. SB Barre is found in multiple clubs throughout the city. You can view the schedules and clubs here. Find a studio, identify the classes that work for your schedule and surround yourself with the little ways that are going to work with you in order to reach your fitness and health goals.

• ASK Questions. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Some poses are more challenging than others. ASK questions before and after class to clarify any confusion. As an instructor, I love when members want to make sure they are doing the moves correctly in order to better their barre practice. You will only get better if you have an understanding of how to do the moves correctly. We are here to help you!!

• Grab a Gym Buddy. Find a friend (or make one) and stay committed to attending one, maybe 2, classes a week. Having a buddy will help you stay committed and let's face it, workouts are always better with friends (and community).

Before you know it, your body will reflect all your hard work! See you at the Barre!


Emily

Celebrate National Running Day

I hope you all are getting excited about tomorrow. If you don't know June 3 is National Running Day. It is held annually the first Wednesday in June and it is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running (or walking). I hope you will take this opportunity to not only think about not only why you run, but why you come to barre.

This year, you can even run or walk and track it through Charity Miles. Your miles will help great causes earn critical funds. All you have to do is:

• Download the free Charity Miles app to your iPhone or Android.
• Choose the charity you want to support.
• Select walk or run, and start moving! Every mile logged produces a donation toward your selected charity.
• Every outing is an opportunity to support a new charity.
• For more information, head to charitymiles.org

Connect to National Running Day on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get in on all of the fun and see how everyone around the world is celebrating. 

Download the logo below and share your excitement tomorrow. 













Tag: #NationalRunningDay #soulbodystrongbody



How are you going to celebrate? Alone? With friends? With a training group? Get out their and hit the pavement for a run or casual stroll. 

Why do you run?