May 1, 2014 - Brooklyn Active Mama - A Blog For Busy Moms

5 Easy Tips for Picking the Perfect Running Shoe

by Nellie May 30, 2014

A few weeks ago I went to City Sports in Midtown to go check out their running shoes. Since I have been running a few 5ks and my current sneakers were gifts from Fitness Magazine’s Meet and Tweet, I figured it was time I start looking for a new pair.

I was greeted by TJ and he was SUPER nice. He asked me some basic exploratory questions including if I had any athletic goals, how many miles did I plan on running, what’s my currently activity pattern and etc. By the time he was done I felt super comfortable that he would be able to pick the right shoe for me.

He performed a Gait analysis on me and determined that I have moderate over pronation. This meant that I would need a thicker medial posting that protects the ankle as I am running. City Sports had plenty of sneakers for me to choose from. TJ even gave me my own Fit Card so that I wouldn’t forget my analysis in case I needed another pair of sneakers down the line.

5 Tips To Pick The Perfect Running Shoe

1) Go Into A Running Specific Shop: I know online is easy but it’s better to try on the running sneakers before you purchase. Get fitted and keep in mind that 6-8 months is the shelf life of pretty much any sneaker.

2) Know Your Activity Pattern: It is critical that you make sure you have the proper protection for the activity you are doing (aka don’t take running shoes to bootcamp).

3) Feel Out Multiple Surfaces: See if you can try different surfaces when trying on the shoe. How many times have we bought heels because they felt great on the store rug–then we hit the mean concrete and get a quick wake up call?! Running shoes are the same City Sports has both rung AND concrete (40 yards!) in the store that you can test. Best part? You can try them on the treadmill in your gym and return them if they don’t feel good (in resell-able condition of course).

4) Count Your Miles: Keep in mind that 400-600 miles is the maximum you should be running in any pair of sneakers. Don’t forget to include all mileage running outside in errands (grocery store, mall, post office etc)

5) Figure out what you like: One of the most important decisions is whether or not you like a light or a heavy sneaker. Some folks think that less is better when it comes to running and some people love to feel a complete comfort of a heavy sneaker. make sure you consider the weight of the sneaker when you try them on.

I asked TJ what his personal favorites are and he let me know that Brooks and Mizuno are his personal favorites because they are light and cushiony. Sounds good to me!

City Sports is the premiere destination for urban athletes and active lifestyle enthusiasts. Currently, there are 23 City Sports stores on the East Coast, located in the following metropolitan markets: Boston, Providence, Burlington, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. They currently sell more than 200,000 pair of running shoes, and its run clubs log a combined 27,000 miles annually. City Sports extends its unique specialty shopping experience via its virtual store at www.citysports.com

***I was not compensated in any way for mentioning City Sports.***

Do you take special care when choosing your running shoes? How was your Health and Wellness week?

34 comments

rest in peace

Rest In Peace To A Phenomenal Woman – Dr. Maya Angelou

by Nellie May 28, 2014

Sometimes there are people who are famous for their good souls. People who you feel like you know personally, people that touch your spirit and make you feel comfortable in their presence even if it is through a television.

Then they leave us on earth and we don’t know how to mourn because even though we haven’t met them we don’t know how to let go, because they are so much apart of your life, your upbringing, your fabric.

Maya Angelou was a special spirit. One of those people that could see things how they were and convey them to us in amazing poetry and books. Wisdom poured out of her constantly like a never ending river and we were lucky enough to dip a toe in her wonderful teachings. Maya Angelou’s words raised me and brought me joy and clarity. My mom made me memorize I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and I still remember the power and beauty of that amazing poem.

A little known fact about me is that I was really into poetry in high school. I was president of the poetry club and we put on reading for other schools and our classmates regularly. Along with many other amazing poets I read & memorized a lot of her poems, but the one that stuck with me, the one that never left my soul was Phenomenal Woman.

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was a phenomenal woman. I could never describe all of her amazing in words. You will be missed!

we-delight-in-the-beauty-of-the-butterfly-maya-angelou

quotes-keeping-faith-maya-angelou-600x411

15 comments

Weekly Wednesday Workout

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Single Leg Dumbbell Row

by Nellie May 28, 2014

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Single Leg Dumbbell Row

Today we are working our back, core, legs–you name it!

I like this move a lot, although I need to work on my balance this is a great move that targets multiple major muscle groups. I normally do these with 5-7.5 pound dumbbells in each hand. This is another one of those moves that you definitely don’t need the gym for and it can tone up your back, legs and if you keep your core tight, your abs too!!

Have you ever tried a Single Leg Dumbell Row?

14 comments

dance fun workout youtube

Masala Bhangra by Sarina Jain – Burn The Calories with Indian Dance Fitness!

by Nellie May 23, 2014

I have been hearing all over the blogs and the fitness scene about the Bollywood dance craze that is taking over the fitness industry. I got an invitation to try out a Bollywood style class led by the one and only Sarina Jain. Known as the “Jane Fonda of India” Sarina has created a Masala Bhangra dance class movement that keep your heart rate up while making you feel like you were in an actual Bollywood movie!

[Tweet “#MasalaBhangra with @SarinaJain keeps your heart rate pumping while having fun!”]

The class was held at the legendary Alvin Ailey studios on the upper west side. This was my first time taking a class there and I felt so honored because of the deep respect that I have for the institution.

The class was like we were practicing for a show or as Sarina said “An Indian Wedding”. She taught us several 8 counts and had us practice them over and over until we got it… Then she added on. By the end we had an entire choreographed routine! It was sick!

What I loved though was that during the class she did not stay in the front–she moved around. She gave us visualizations to go with the dance moves. She let us know which moves were masculine and which were feminine. She told us when to smile and when the whip out hair. When to be strong and when to be completely sexy. She told a story with her moves and by the end we all picked up our scarves and did the entire routine with them. It was seriously all sorts of awesome!

I managed to set the video to record the entire choreography–check it out!

[Tweet “Check out video of #masalabhangra live at #alvinailey! #dance #bollywood”]When we were done, I felt fantastic and that is saying a whole lot because I don’t function well with evening workouts. She was so sweet and I absolutely loved her t-shirt!

Sarina is currently fundraising to get her Infomercial on TV! She has two amazing DVDs that is guaranteed to make you sweat but is still ton of fun too!

Have you ever tried a Bollywood workout?

Would you try it?

Do you prefer Morning/afternoon or evening workouts?

How was your fitness and wellness week?

30 comments

Weekly Wednesday Workout

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Dumbell Chest Pullovers

by Nellie May 21, 2014

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Dumbbell Pullovers

Today we work the chest and back!

I love this move because it works almost every upper body muscle. What I like about this video is the fact that the instructor shows us three different ways to do the move. You don’t have to be in the gym to execute this move in the gym, you can do this one at home at the edge of the bed or even laying down. I have done this move on the gym bench (when there is one available!) or on the exercise ball. The ball is definitely more difficult and you get more bang for your buck because you use the core muscles even more for stabilization.

Have you ever tried dumbbell pullovers?

27 comments

May 2014

Do you take special care when choosing your running shoes? How was your Health and Wellness week?

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Single Leg Dumbbell Row

Have you ever tried a Single Leg Dumbell Row?

Have you ever tried a Bollywood workout?

Would you try it?

Do you prefer Morning/afternoon or evening workouts?

How was your fitness and wellness week?

Weekly Wednesday Workout: Dumbbell Pullovers

Have you ever tried dumbbell pullovers?