OrangeTheory Fitness (OTF) and Fitness Favorites

Happy Sunday, friends! I hope you all had a great weekend. If you’re like me, you’re probably soaking up those last few hours before the work week begins again. We are in full Back-to-School mode in this house. Even though Ryan and I both work all summer now, the pace seems to change (ahem, speed up) when August arrives.

Time to be honest...I’ve been completely sporadic about my workouts all summer. Trust me, I have all kinds of excuses (and I promise they are legit) but I’m working on getting back into my routine of going to OrangeTheory about 3-4 times a week. I don’t think I have mentioned OrangeTheory Fitness (OTF) on the blog yet, but I have been going for about a year and a half now and I love it. You guys all know that I’ve been a Zumba instructor since 2011 and I still love Dance Fitness. However, a couple of years ago I just really wanted to add something different to my fitness routine. I knew I needed to add in some weights and some cardio that was different from Zumba. Two years ago, I started seeing Orange Bicycles around town and wondered what they were- turns out they were for OTF! I stopped into their temporary location to find out some information and signed up for a membership that same day.

I really liked their concept of cardio mixed with strength training. Going to OTF is a lot like going to a personal trainer because they tell you what to do and how to push yourself during class, plus they will help to make sure you use proper form throughout class. I work out so much harder on the treadmill there than I ever did on my own at the gym. OTF isn’t a traditional gym— you don’t go and just work out on your own. You sign up for classes ahead of time and workout in a group setting. I definitely work harder in a group than on my own, too. One thing you might be wondering is why it’s called OrangeTheory. Well, during class, you wear a heart rate monitor. Everyone’s name is up on a TV screen so you can see what heart rate zone you are in all throughout class. The goal is to get most of your minutes in the Green Zone (a.k.a. Base Pace) but to try and get 12 minutes in the Orange (or Red) Zone. I’m one of those weird people who never ever gets 12 points (minutes) in Orange or Red— and many times I get 0— but today I got 4! That’s major, for me. I think I just have an unusually low heart rate. I don’t worry too much about that— I just go by how I feel.

I tell everyone who asks that even though I have been exercising pretty regularly for years and have even been a fitness instructor for 7 years— I never worked out before like I do at OTF. I’ve learned I can do things that are a lot harder than I ever thought! Like burpees. Although, I swear I will never EVER love burpees. I love the way that every workout is different— you never know what you might do each day. My favorite kinds of workouts are switch workouts where you rotate to different stations or kinds of equipment every few minutes. It makes the classes go by really quickly.

Speaking of fitness, I wanted to share a great fitness apparel find with you. My favorite workout leggings were Under Armour for a long time. However, they were $40 a pop (sometimes more!) and then a few years ago, UA changed the way they were made and they just weren’t as thick as they used to be. Luckily, Amazon to the rescue! I found these great leggings.

I’ve bought 4-5 pairs now and I love them. I especially love that they are high waisted so I don’t find myself pulling them up all the time. And did I mention the awesome price? Most colors are around $19.99 and have free returns, so if you don’t love them, you can always return them.

I also have come to love Beachbody’s Energize for a pre-workout boost.

I used to try and eat some kind of protein bar before class, but I found many of them taste like cardboard. This mix actually tastes good— just like lemonade. I mix it with about 10 oz. of water and drink it about 30-45 minutes before my workout. Since I usually work out at 5:45 p.m., sometimes I need a little something to energize myself before walking in the door at OTF or for a Zumba workout. (FYI— I am not a Beachbody Coach and do not sell this product— this is purely my own opinion based on my own experience.)

And finally, I am never without PanAway!

This is one of my favorite oils. I think everyone has their own trusted brands, but I began using Young Living oils several years ago and I love them. Sometimes if I have missed a week of workouts or if we have a particularly tough workout and I’m pretty sore, this little bottle to the rescue! PanAway has Wintergreen, Helichrysum, Clove, and Peppermint— all great for supporting your fitness routine. Sometimes I add a drop to my lotion or to some coconut oil and I’ll put it on my muscles and joints before OR after exercise. It’s also great mixed into Epsom Salts for tub soak. Trust me on this! You can purchase PanAway through Young Living OR it is also part of the Premium Starter Kit, which contains 10 other oils, a diffuser, and lots of samples of other great products. Plus, you also get a one-year membership and you get discounts on all products. Click here for more information on the Young Living Starter Kit!

What are some of your favorite workout products?

By the way, I forgot to mention that I am right in the middle of a Whole30! I’ve been reading a great book and will share some details soon! It’s got some great meal ideas. More info to come!