Weekend List with ClassPass

I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fitness class girl. When it comes to working out, I’m kind of in a fitness “what works” rut with gym days, home workouts, and running routines around my work schedule. I’ve been thinking for awhile that I’d like to try more classes and get into yoga more, but that just has not happened. I think a small part of me worries it won’t be as good of a workout and fears the uncoordinated half of me will come out in full force. I’m confronting these fears and leaving my fitness comfort zone for the next month as I try out the ClassPass service.

ClassPass is an interesting alternative to a traditional gym service, you pay a monthly fee to have access to many different types of fitness classes and studios in your area. Classes from every variety of yoga, Barre, kickboxing, CrossFit, various bootcamps, running, and many others I’ve never heard of before.

What I like about the service:

• It’s fast and simple to navigate
• Easy to search and book classes
• So many options for the Sacramento area!
• Interfaces nicely with Google Calendar and Maps for scheduling and finding studios
• Class reminder emails with what to pack and when to arrive at the studio
• iOS app is clean and easy to use

So far I dusted off my yoga mat and tried a Vinyasa Yoga class at Zuda Yoga and it kicked my butt!

I am still sore from it! This is how much of a yoga newbie I am – I had no clue it was gonna be in a hot studio! The studio temps are kept in the mid 90s and this was a 70 minute class, I was drenched at the end and proud of myself for making it through without passing out since this was my first experience. But I did feel amazing after, so much so that I’m thinking of investing in one of these yoga mat towels and going back very soon.

ClassPass is $79 a month, not super cheap, but great to try for a week or month at a time to have access to a ton of new fitness classes to find a new form of fitness to be passionate about and I like the social and fun aspect of this service. The one week trial option is great for sampling a lot of classes and studios in the area. There are a lot more classes I’d like to try like Barre, cycling, kickboxing, and maybe Crossfit, and I’ll post regular updates while using this service.

But I’m already certain that I’d like to keep yoga in my routine and this video from Dr. Pam Popper reaffirms that would be a good thing for me.

I discovered a new vegan snack both chihuahuas love this weekend – green beans!

They are on the approved safe list for dogs and our dogs love them!

As usual I made a huge salad for simple lunches this weekend, this one with baby power greens, tomato, apple, carrot, hemp seeds, and a simple tahini, tamari, and apple cider vinegar dressing I whisked together in a bowl.

Yum!

I got a little crazy with dinner using a package of Explore Asian’s High Protein, Organic Soybean Spaghetti, chard, and carrots.

I cooked the spaghetti, then stir fried it with chopped chard and julienned carrots in a wok with tamari, a little tahini, onion powder, and garlic powder.

It was a simple and fun one pot meal.

And it packed a ton of plant-based protein while this NY Times article makes a solid case against a diet high in animal protein.

A study published last March found a 75 percent increase in premature deaths from all causes, and a 400 percent increase in deaths from cancer and Type 2 diabetes, among heavy consumers of animal protein under the age of 65 — those who got 20 percent or more of their calories from animal protein.

Wow!

On a lighter note, how about everything you ever needed to know about nuts?

This article on alcohol and liver cancer caused me to re-analyze my drinking habits. I’m a lightweight and usually never make it to a 3rd drink! But I feel better about enjoying coffee in the morning.

Chic Vegan has a great article about reducing and even eliminating oils in your diet.

LifeHacker has a helpful article on beating the Sunday Night Blues. This has been a problem for me as work has been busier and more chaotic with changes lately, facing a full week in the office can be a little depressing.

Finally carbs get a bad rap with BS fad diets. This UC Davis article sorts out good carbs from bad ones nicely and why the good ones are an important part of a healthy diet.