exercise

oGorgeous Workout Mat Bags: Style and Practicality

Filed under: Handbags

The holidays are here, and you know what that means ... New Year's resolutions are right around the corner. Promising yourself you'll work out more, maybe try yoga or Pilates? You'll need your own mat (gym mats = germs), and no doubt, as a Luxist reader, you'll want a mat bag with style. Look to oGorgeous for bags that are practical but won't look like anyone else's in the locker room.

The Pleated Pocket bag is shown; take a gander at the gallery for some other styles. All bags feature 2 side water bottle pockets, 1 inner zippered pocket, 1 inner cell phone pocket, 1 MP3 player pocket, 2 pen slots, a satin silk lining, and the oGorgeous golden emblem. The bags can fit the standard 1/8" mat, as well as 1/4" mats, with room to spare for shoes, towels, a change of clothes, and other personal items. $85-$109

Gallery: oGorgeous Workout Mat Bags: Style and Practicality

Tags: exercise, gym, mat, mat bag, oGorgeous, Pilates, workout, yoga

Ciclotte is $10,000 Worth of Design, Exercise, and Spin

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Sports

First came the Ciclò, a concept stationary bicycle by Italian designer Luca Shieppati. Then came a place in the Milan Design Museum for that Ciclò. Now, a year later, comes a retail version of the concept that will make your spinning more beautiful than it has ever been. Called the Ciclotte, the bike has been fitted with more usable bars – more like horns than handles – and a touchscreen to set and monitor your immobile progress.

Inside the circle are an epicycloid gear system and a magnetized wheel offering adjustable resistance. You can get it in three hues: carbon, steel, and, would you guess, purple. It will cost you $10,000 to place yourself aboard the Ciclotte and ride it to better fitness, but you can probably make your money back rather quickly if you charge a dollar every time someone asks, "What is that?"

Gallery: Ciclotte Exercise Bike

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Tags: ciclotte, exercise, Luca Schieppati, stationary bike

Ten Good Reasons to Hire a Private Personal Trainer

by Kimberlyn Slagle (RSS feed) —

These days money is tight for almost everyone. Even those of us who haven't felt the direct hit of the economic recession are scrutinizing spending like never before. As a result, much of what we perceive to be "life's extras" are now facing the financial chopping block. Should the choice to hire (or keep) private personal trainers survive your personal budget cuts? Here are ten reasons the answer should be "Yes!"

Accountability. "Trainers come with built-in motivation," explains Judy Cassady (ACSM, AFFA certified). "Not only are you investing money in to your exercise program, but you're investing time as well." Jerome Davis (NASM, CPT, PES, CES certified) admits that even he, "the trainer, has a personal trainer for that very reason." Trainers can provide accountability because there is a human face that has expectations that you are showing up and working to your potential during your time together. For some, that accountability is what keeps them showing up and seeing results. "Some of my clients don't come in the gym unless they have an appointment," Davis says. "That is not what I like to hear, but quite often it can be the case. There's nothing like a standing appointment to get your butt in gear for a workout."

Education. Working with a good trainer provides you with the opportunity to learn something new after every interaction. Davis explains, "there are 168 hours in a week. Hopefully you get to see your client for 3 of them. What are they doing the other 165? Education is the key for the client." Jaye Evans ( BA, kinesiology, NASM, Cooper, AFFA, Yogafit and spinning certifications) agrees, "If you hire a good trainer they will have expertise in the areas or fields that you won't get from the internet; that you won't get from books; that you won't get from magazines. You will get that from the source."

Tags: diabetes, exercise, fitness, motivation, nutrition, personaltrainer, value, weightloss

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Limited Edition Exercise Machine: The Designer PowerPlate

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Exercise machines might help make people beautiful but the equipment itself is usually anything but. Looking to change all that, however, is Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada, who has decked out a PowerPlate (vibrate your way to fitness) in a vivid floral motif. The limited edition model is bright and colorful almost to the point of being obnoxious, but I'm thinking most exercise rooms could use the pop of color (whether it coordinates or not). 'Regular' PowerPlates sell for approx $4,500 but this one will cost you £9,525 (or about $14,300).

Via bookofjoe

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Tags: exercise, exercise equipment, ExerciseEquipment, kenzo takada, KenzoTakada, power plate, powerplate

Aerospace Fitness Center

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Ever notice that some of the fittest people you know don't use the machines in the gym? At Aerospace, a fitness center in New York founded by Micahel Olahide, a former middleweight boxer and fitness consultant, and Leila Fazel, a former ballet dancer and a co-creator of Ian Schrager Hotels' Agua luxury spas, the emphasis is on the activities rather than the machines. There are a variety of Aero branded classes including Aerobox, Aerojump, and Aerosculpt which help create a sleek and healthy body. They call it the "most savage and serene workout experience on the planet."

The Aerospace facility is a two-story, 7,000 square-foot fitness center with studios, open space for personalized programs and sparring, an impact training center with boxing equipment, Aeropods that offer personal audio/video projection training and meditation rooms, relaxation suites for reflexology and massage.

Visitors to the city can get a version of the Aerospace experience at the gorgeous Julian Schnabel-designed Gramercy Park Hotel which has an Aerospace fitness center and an Aerospa facility.

Gallery: Aerospace Fitness Center

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Tags: aerospace, exercise, fitness, gramercy park hotel, GramercyParkHotel, gym, new york city, NewYorkCity

Top Yoga Retreats

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

While massages and attentive butlers are all well and good when it comes to getting pampered on a vacation, few things are as relaxing as yoga - and even fewer when that yoga is taking place at a gorgeous spa. Concierge.com has a list of their top ten yoga retreats, chosen from resorts all across the world. Some of their top picks include:

Wildflower Hall in India - Yoga was invented in the Himalayas, so this mountain-top retreat can really get you inspired

Chiva-Som in Thailand - One of Thailand's top spas, with all-private instruction, customized to your preferences.

Maya Tulum in Mexico - Set between the ocean and the Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula, you'll relax, workout and get to hobnob with the glitterati who frequent the retreat.

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Tags: concierge, exercise, holiday, journey, retreat, spa, travel, trip, trips, vacation, yoga

Mechanical Core Muscle Trainer

by Matthew Collins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Ah, the allure of a horseback ride through the countryside is an idyllic image, bonding with nature and communing with a powerful steed. But, if you don't like the whole outdoors and animal thing, you can still get a good work out with the Mechanical Core Muscle Trainer. Yeah, it's a fancy name for a horse riding simulator, but it gives a user the same workout you could expect from a day of riding. It's great for people who need exercise, but who have to be careful with their heart rates. Available from the always fun Hammacher Schlemmer.

Tags: exercise, horseback riding, HorsebackRiding

Vibrate Yourself Skinny

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

I once went to a gym that had those old machines where you would strap a vibrating belt around your waist to whittle your middle. It seemed so antiquated but the idea that you can vibrate your way to thinness is back in a big way. The new version is called Whole Body Vibration and promises all the benefits of real exercise in just 10 minutes a few times a week. You stand on a steel plate and receive strong vibrations which are supposed to do increase bone density and muscle tone as well as help reduce cellulite. The newest place to check this out is the Z Med Spa in Pasadena, California. The owner has a new blog documenting her success with the machine. The machine can also be found in some gyms and can be bought for home use. You can buy a personal one on eBay for $3,500.

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Tags: exercise, exercise equipment, fitness, health

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