Fitness Essentials: 7 must-have workout tools

I tend to keep my yoga practices and workouts separate, but for the sake of this post I have combined elements of both. As a certified yoga teacher and fitness fanatic, here are some of my favorite things: 

1. Lululemon The Mat: As a yoga teacher, I practice yoga a lot and need a durable, reliable mat that I can count on. I love this mat because unlike other mats, it won't slide around on hard floors. I also tend to sweat a lot and this mat has a special coating so you won't lose your grip, even when you're sweating. It's also thicker than your typical mat so it's more supportive and protective. So if you're serious about yoga, I would highly recommend this mat. 

2. Nathan Sonic Boom Armband: Whenever I run or use my elliptical, I love to listen to music. Holding your phone in your hand can be annoying and you will get your phone sweaty. Using an armband is the perfect solution for handsfree running. 

3. Foam Roller: I love to roll out my muscles before and after every workout. Using a foam roller is a great way to massage your muscles and release tension or tightness. It also works wonders on sore muscles.  

4. Lululemon Namaste Yoga Tote: If you practice yoga away from the home, you may want to consider a yoga mat carrier. Not only does it keep your mat from unrolling and getting dirty, but it can store your water bottle, keys, towel, and other items. Plus, it's easy to carry by just sliding it over your shoulder. 

5. Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness: I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys yoga whether you are a beginner or a teacher. This book is really easy to understand, has very clear images, and I love how deep it dives into meditation. If you struggle moving past yoga being only physical, this is the book for you. 

6. Lululemon The (Small) Towel: When you sweat during workouts or yoga practices, it's always nice if you have a towel with you so that you can quickly wipe down and get rid of sweat dripping on your face or hands. Any towel will do, but I like these because they are super absorbent and soft. 

7. Thera-bands: Thera-bands are great for resistance training and strength building. When I was a ballet dancer, I would use these every single day to gain strength in my ankles and feet, and I haven't stopped using them since. There are so many exercises you can do with these to work every part of the body. 

I didn't put numbers with these because they are pretty standard, but also pictured are small dumbbells and wrist-weights; I like to use these during certain exercises and on the elliptical. Let me know if you want to see any of my workout routines including foam roller exercises, thera-band exercises, and yoga sequences! 

5 Benefits of Yoga

As you all know, I'm working on getting my yoga certification so I can teach and share yoga with others. Here are just a few of the things I'm learning about the health benefits that yoga has to offer.


Yoga differs from other types of physical exercise in that it works your mind, body, and spirit. So while you're physically getting stronger (asana), you are also practicing your breathing (pranayama), and you're working on meditation (dhyana). The combination of these areas make for unique benefits.

Benefits of Yoga:

1. Happier Workout: Research has continually shown that by not triggering the "fight or flight" response while working out (like you do in most sports and exercise), you will feel happier and more refreshed after working out. By keeping an awareness of breath and continually being mindful of your practice, you are able to become very relaxed while still having an intense workout.

2. Weight Loss: Yoga helps with weight loss, not only because it is a workout but because it reduces your stress, which is one of the triggers of weight gain. It has been shown through research that when your body releases cortisol (a stress hormone), your body has greater difficultly losing weight. Yoga reduces your cortisol levels and increases your dopamine levels. 

3. Less risk of Disease: Yoga has been shown to reduce your risk of disease and even be a good treatment of some diseases because it helps your immune system, lung function, brain function, and so much more. The many different poses (asana) are great cleansers and do great things for your organs. Yoga can help with and prevent high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. The breathing practices can also help with asthma.

4. Decreased Stress: Yoga helps to reduce your stress because through use of breathing techniques and practicing them, you can train the autonomic nervous system to work in your benefit. This will help you not only while you're practicing yoga, but in stressful situations and in everyday life. 

5. Body Benefits: Of course we all know that yoga increases our flexibility, improves balance, builds muscles, gives us better posture, and promotes us spiritually. 



This is a great quote by Elliot S. Dacher MD who wrote Whole Healing: A Step-by-Step Program to Reclaim Your Power to Heal":

 “Yoga is a way to get to the source of ourselves. The challenge is not to see yoga as a treatment for disease, but as an opportunity to see something deeper in the self. To reconnect with the body is one way of artfully facing the reality of pain in our life and a means for accepting and being in our lives more deeply.”