Alicia graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in journalism with a minor in film and media studies. Prior to joining SparkPeople, she worked in marketing and public relations and once left it all behind to backpack through South America. Alicia enjoys practicing yoga outside on sunny days, farmers markets, planning trips to practically every country and cheering aggressively for her beloved Cincinnati Reds and New Orleans Saints. She can also make a mean guacamole on toast.
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The Case for Stuffing Your Sorry's in a Sack
Honestly, friends, last month got the best of me and I wasn't feeling 100 percent like myself. Between a few frantically busy weekends plus a bunch of appointments during the week, I failed to squeeze everything in and slowly started drifting away from my resolution to not be so late to every social engagement I make. I ended up apologizing left and right for a lot of things that were ultimately out of my control, which is perhaps why this post resonated with me as we move into this new month:
Posted 3/3/2017 12:00:00 AM By: : 16 comments 30,118 views
The Fuel You Need to Go After Your Goals This February
While it might be St. Valentine who's on everyone's minds this month, I'm using February to realign myself with Team Me and you should, too. January is the month to get swept up in the excitement of change, but it's February where winners are truly made. Chances are you went into January with clear eyes, full hearts and we all know what that means. Now that it's been a month, you've probably hit some bumps along the road and some of that New Year sparkle might be starting to wear off. But this is the time to shine.
Posted 2/3/2017 12:00:00 AM By: : 10 comments 23,064 views
10 Functional & Flattering Black Leggings You Can Buy on Amazon
The black legging is to exercise as the little black dress is to wedding season: an essential wardrobe staple. Tall, short, small or large, the black legging is flattering on practically every body shape and it's functional to boot. With a lot of stretch in the fabric, cuts and seams that accentuate your curves and muscles, lengths that keep you warm or comfortable depending on the season and the ability to seamlessly transition from gym to grocery, the black legging boasts endless reasons why it's is an absolute must no matter what your training schedule requires.
Posted 1/20/2017 12:00:00 AM By: : 26 comments 64,275 views
Why I'll Never Be a Runner and That's Okay
In this industry, the phrase "new year, new you," tends to lose its pizazz right around September, after my inbox has been flooded for a month with PR pitches claiming their product (we swear!) is the one that's going to turn the common promise into a reality. The same tag has been used on this site, as well as countless other health, fitness and wellness websites, and for good reason—it's promising, catchy, optimistic, all the ingredients you need to inspire daydreams about New Year's resolutions.
Posted 1/6/2017 12:00:00 AM By: : 82 comments 51,248 views
The 2016 Airing of Health and Fitness Grievances
A Festivus for the rest of us. That's all Frank Costanza wanted when the doll he was going to gift to his son was viciously ripped from his hands by a fellow shopper that fateful Christmas.
Posted 12/2/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 49 comments 30,734 views
10 Gifts That Will Motivate Your Loved Ones to Lose
We're big fan of losers. Dedicating yourself to weight loss day after day, week after week, month after month, can be quite intimidating if you're just getting started, though. Whether you're near the end of your weight-loss journey with your goal in sight or you're right in the middle, you know better than anyone that the first few weeks can be the most challenging. That's when you're figuring out what kind of workouts fit your lifestyle, which types of recipes you actually, really, really enjoy, mastering the balance of indulgence and control, and, ultimately, learning to accept a new normal once you shed all the bad habits that were holding you back.
This holiday season, why not inspire someone to take the leap and get healthy? The right gift—one that makes fitness fun and healthy eating seem achievable—could be just the encouraging push they need to make a lasting change. With New Year's Resolutions right around the corner, offering a loved one a gift that motivates and inspires them to take charge is a gift that speaks volumes.
Posted 11/11/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 10 comments 57,065 views
A 500-Word Argument for Smashing Your Scale into 1,000 Pieces
Let the positive, grateful-to-be-alive vibes flow, folks—it's Thanksgiving month. To get the ball rolling, I thought I'd share a few of the things (off a much longer list) that I'm very thankful for from this past year, including all of you epic people.
Posted 11/4/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 12 comments 24,211 views
Ding, Dong! Turn Halloween Into a Calorie-Busting Workout
The candy is supposed to be given away, a prize for the little trick or treaters hiking up hills both ways to hit every house in the neighborhood before the sun goes down. That's the plan, anyway. But when you're sitting there by the door for two, maybe three hours, that huge bowl of fun-sized candies staring you in the face, it can be really easy to grab one, then three more, and a few more before calling it quits for the night. They're bite-sized and harmless enough, after all.
Even though it's just one night, Halloween can be a terrifying trap for your health goals. You don't have to fall in the fun-sized hole, though. Instead of grabbing every candy that crosses your path Halloween night, use the cute, scary and downright clever trick or treaters as an impetus to workout. The concept is simple: We matched some of the best Halloween costumes with an exercise move. When that doorbell rings, check out the costumes, deliver the goods to each trick or treater, then perform the move while you wait for the next group to arrive. Get in the spirit by throwing on your best Richard Simmons getup and get sweating!
Posted 10/21/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 79 comments 66,745 views
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4 Great Reasons to Steal This Toddler's Morning Pep Talk
In 2011, Major League Baseball kicked off their "Legends are Born in October" campaign to promote the excitement and glory that is postseason baseball. With one swing of a bat, you can cement your place in history, they say. I latched onto the tagline immediately and understood it to mean that I, with my October birthday, was clearly destined to be legen…wait for it…dary.
Living up to the challenge every day is not for the weak of heart, but it's one I think we can all take on in little ways every day. My own examples include: Being a champion at waking up 15 minutes before I have to leave and still making it to work on time; whipping together a beet salad after walking to the farmers market and back; holding on for those last ten reps of bicycles even though my abs are screaming; challenging myself to exercises that I think are way out of my element (see below) even if I end up a sweaty, weepy mess on the floor; resisting the urge to buy another pair of black workout leggings even though they're on sale and I have a coupon.
Regardless of whether or not you had the good fortune of being born in October, I hope you, too, will use this month to be your most legendary self.
Posted 10/7/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 2 comments 21,769 views
8 Hardcore Core Workouts Every Level Will Love
It is a truth universally acknowledged that abs day is a dreaded day. The isolations, crunches, planks and Russian twists are moves we love to hate, the ones that make our bellies hurt when we laugh the next day. But, in the end, it's all so worth it for that tight core feeling. Yes, even the laugh pains.
Aside from the fact that strong abdominal muscles look really, really great, working out the mid-section of your body also reaps a whole bunch of health benefits. Not only will bending, twisting and lifting start to feel easier, but your posture and balance will also improve tremendously. While it's important to exercise every part of our body to see a real difference all over, taking some time to work on your abdominals once or twice a week is important for any exercise routine. Get a confidence boost in as little as 10 minutes with eight hurts-so-good at-home workouts.
Posted 9/21/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 29 comments 89,466 views
Hit the Gym Before Sunrise With These 11 Trainer Tips
For some, the best part of waking up is hitting the snooze button and going right back to sleep. For us mere cozy-blanket-warm-bed-loving mortals, finding ways to get out the door in time for a pre-sunrise workout class can become a brutal competition, pitting your goals against your tired brain.
Yet group fitness instructors and personal trainers seem to wake up with a spring in their step, a sparkle in their eye and a natural caffeine boost streaming through their system before the first songbird has even chirped. Their high-energy enthusiasm and go get 'em attitude can be more infuriating than infectious if you're still wiping the sleep from your eyes, but what if there was a way to steal their secrets to being chipper in the pre-dawn hours? Trainers and fitness pros aren't all morning people—they've just trained their bodies to never say snooze, and you can do the same.
Posted 9/16/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 44 comments 75,618 views
8 Clever Products for the Determined Desk Dweller
You've heard the facts: the average office worker spends a whopping seven to 10 hours sitting in a chair, you have to engage in 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily to combat the detrimental effects of sitting all day and finding ways to fit in exercise throughout the day could be just as beneficial as carving out a full 30-minute workout after work.
The health perks of squeezing in a little exercise here, a little effort there are no joke, plus they're actually really important for your overall happiness. There are plenty of desk workouts available out there and especially on Pinterest, but for those of you who feel a little silly doing triceps dips off the side of your chair and squats while your coworkers work on spreadsheets five feet away, they're probably not the most appealing option.
Before you resign yourself to a sad, stationary cubicle existence, consider transforming your office space into a fit-friendly oasis that will be the envy of all your fellow deskmates. No matter the amount of space, there are plenty of products out there designed to allow the health-conscious worker to fit in those little bits of exercise magic throughout the day.
Posted 9/15/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 15 comments 59,473 views
8 Ways to Clean the Fitness Gear You Always Forget to Clean
You don't even want to know what kinds of things could be growing on that water bottle you've kept in your hot car's cup holder for the last six months. Same goes for that gym bag sitting by the front door housing last week's forgotten soaked clothes.
It's no secret that germs are lurking all over your gym, but what about the ones hiding out in the equipment you lug back and forth to the gym or rely on for your at-home workouts? Taking the time to wipe down and care for your yoga mat or plastic water bottle is just as essential as washing your sweat-drenched, post-workout tank top and leggings. Neglecting to do so could result in your gym equipment becoming home sweet home to some unwelcome and unpleasant bacteria.
Posted 9/9/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 86 comments 97,162 views
What I Learned From the Gnarliest Match One Olympian Ever Played
SparkPeople reporter Melissa Rudy brought up an interesting point at one of our recent pitch meetings when she said that September, not January, was the real "New Year" for a lot of people (she wrote all about it here). Summer is a frantic rollercoaster of vacations, weekend getaways, state fairs and trying to be within the vicinity of a body of water for most of the season. With all those distractions, it can be easy to fall victim to abandoning routine in favor of bonfires and bikinis. For many people, fall means shopping for back to school and getting back in a routine, making it the perfect time to reevaluate your goals and what you're actively doing to achieve them. Get at it, SparkPeople. We know you've got what it takes to slide into home, run across the finish line or whatever sports metaphor you most prefer come January.
Also important to note: fleece shirts and ankle booties are back. They're back, people!
Posted 9/2/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 5 comments 16,895 views
15 Things to Tell Yourself When You Want to Quit
On day two of my hike to Machu Picchu, I was beat. My lungs felt like they were going to explode, my quads had quit and the calves were violently cursing me. As my body traded insults about which part was in the most pain, my brain kicked in. "Hey guys, let's all just relax, I've got some Queen queued up," she said. "All together now: Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time. I feel ali-hi-hi-hive and the world, it's turning inside out! I'm floating around in ecstasy. So don't stop me now. Don't stop me, 'cause I'm having a good time, having a good time!"
Freddie and friends carried me all the way through the tears that tough day two and on to the Sun Gate two days later. When that quitting part of the brain starts raising its voice, it's staring myself in the mirror and repeating that classic Marine saying, "Pain is weakness leaving the body," or mouthing the words to "Work This Body" that keeps me going. Angry breakup song lyrics work well, or sometimes it's literally visualizing looking like a rock star in that dress I bought last month. Whether it's a breathing technique, mantra, your group fitness instructor shouting a one-sentence inspiration or song that keeps you going, having the ability to power through that moment of wanting to quit is key in any kind of training.
Posted 8/19/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 93 comments 77,835 views
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