Playlists

Winter Workout Playlist & Layering Up

February 24, 2015 by Nicole 17 Comments

Mmm looks like whatever I’m listening to in the above picture smells delicious.

Blogging is a two-way street: I share workouts/information with you guys, and I also learn a ton from all that you share in the comments section. When I wrote this post last year with tips for running outside in the winter, lots of commenters suggested wearing a base layer made from merino wool to stay warm. I have low blood pressure and Raynaud’s Syndrome (essentially bad circulation to the extremities in response to cold temperatures), and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of merino wool before!

When Icebreaker reached out to me and offered to send over some of their merino wool products, I was pumped. Given my issues with the cold weather and the historically snowy winter we’ve been having in Boston, the timing was perfect. I was most excited about the Rush Sports Bra because (overshare alert!) Raynaud’s affects my chest as well as fingers and toes, and it’s hard to find a base layer for that area that isn’t spandex or cotton when it comes to activewear.

I think my favorite items from the gift bundle were the two hats (Skyline Hat in black & Boreal Hat in white). I’ve been wearing them every day! They’re cute, ridiculously soft and oh-so-warm. But, most importantly: cute. 🙂

Everything I’m wearing in these pictures is a base layer. For the sake of showing them off, I’m not wearing anything over them, but—of course—you would if you were going for a winter hike, skiing or other outdoor winter activity. I’m heading up to Maine in a couple weekends for some snowboarding and snowmobiling, and will definitely be packing everything pictured. Icebreaker actually put together a whole infographic on how to layer for the cold that’s really helpful. Here’s the breakdown:

Base Layer: Warmth & Moisture Control (natural fibers, soft, fitted, moisture-wicking)
Mid Layer: Insulation (you want to trap in your body heat)
Outer Layer: Weather Protection (keep out rain and snow, but you still want ventilation capabilities)

WEARING | Everyday Longsleeve / Oasis Longsleeve Half Zip / Oasis Leggings / Women’s Multisport Cushion Micro Sock (not pictured) / Terra Gloves / Skyline Hat

My dad always used to tell me that the weather is never too cold if you dress appropriately for it (as high-school me is staring blankly back at him wearing a ruffled denim mini skirt with Uggs in February), and I finally have started following through on his advice.

Even if you do layer up, winter workouts can still be brutal, so on that note, I’m leaving you with a pump-up playlist to power you through your next chilly run or snowshoeing adventure. This is my current workout playlist, and if you follow me on Spotify, I’m constantly updating it with new music. I also use Soundcloud (that’s the playlist embedded in the right sidebar of the blog), but haven’t updated it in a while. Enjoy!

What songs are you currently working out to? Any tips to share for dressing for the cold weather?

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Icebreaker. Although I did not receive compensation, I did receive complimentary product. All opinions—as always!—are my own.

Filed Under: Activewear & Workout Style, Fashion, Playlists

Panasonic #OpenYourEars Headphones Review (Plus a Playlist)

October 16, 2014 by Nicole 7 Comments

This post was sponsored by Panasonic. I was compensated and given the product free of charge, but all opinions—as always!—are my own.

Lately I’ve gotten the chance to try out a lot of fitness-related technology and gadgets, and I’ve been loving it. In fact, I’m actually heading to NYC a little later today to attend a health and fitness demo event (more on that to come!). Most recently, I was given the opportunity to check out Panasonic’s Open Ear Headphones as part of their #OpenYourEars challenge. These headphones actually transmit sound through the cheek bones, leaving your ears open to hear surrounding noise (car horns, people calling your name, etc.).

As shown in the above picture, the speaker part goes in front of your ear opening, and the headset then goes over your ears and connects behind your head. They’re comfortable, and I found they stayed put well during activity (I went for a run to test ‘em out). They’re sweat and water resistant, and have reflective strips for outdoor nighttime visibility/safety.

When Panasonic first reached out to me, I thought these were essentially mini speakers (i.e. everyone around you would also be able to hear your music). How else would you be able to hear the music if your ears aren’t covered, right? Wrong. Just like regular headphones or earbuds, only you can hear the music (unless of course you’re that annoying person on public transportation blasting your music at max volume). The sound vibrations go directly to the cochlea through the cheekbones, so you can hear the music without clogging your ear opening, and on songs with heavy bass, you can sorta feel the vibrations through your face—it’s pretty cool!

From a workout standpoint, I think these would be ideal for someone running/biking/etc. outdoors during quiet hours who is concerned about being able to hear surrounding noise for safety. I tested these out on a run around the city and along the Charles River and found that the noise from cars actually drowned out the music a bit, and even at max volume, the headphones couldn’t get my playlist quite as loud as I would have liked it (I do admittedly like loud music during workouts though).

I also think these are perfect for the work day—especially if you work in an office. I remember I always liked to listen to music through headphones in my cube, but then I could never hear when a coworker was trying to get my attention or ask me a question. These would have solved that! Listening to music without bothering anyone and still able to overhear workplace gossip: Win! 😉

Since we’re talking about jammin’ out, I wanted to leave you with a playlist of mine. These aren’t necessarily workout songs (although, depending on what you like to listen to when you work out, you might find some in here), but these are the songs that are currently on repeat for me when I’m working at my computer, walking around running errands, getting ready in the morning, driving in the car, etc. Enjoy!

What do you think–would try these headphones out? The Panasonic Open Ear Headphones retail at $79.99 and are available in multiple colors HERE. You can follow Panasonic at @PanaAdventure.

Filed Under: Fitness Technology, Health & Wellness, Playlists

3 Hours of Workout Songs (You’re Welcome)

September 29, 2014 by Nicole 21 Comments

The following post is sponsored by Jabra Sport Pulse™ Wireless. Opinions (and killer taste in music) are my own. 😉

I guess putting “You’re Welcome” in the title is a little presumptuous, but fingers crossed you like at least SOME of these songs.

I’ve always been into music, but especially now that I teach group fitness, I am constantly hunting for new songs and cool remixes of old favorites. I don’t like playing popular songs on the radio in my classes because they get old so quick—you can listen to them in your car, no need to hear them for the 400^th time during your workout (sorry, Taylor Swift fans…). So for me, remixes are King. And when you’re trying to appeal to a varied demographic of people in a class, finding a new remix to an older song everyone knows = crowd-pleaser. For this reason, I’ve shifted away from using Spotify and have been relying more on SoundCloud and Hype Machine for my workout music.

As part of their Beat Your Impossible campaign, Jabra asked me to share a moment when I conquered a goal that seemed impossible. I’ve been lucky enough to not have had to overcome any major injuries or physical setbacks, so I instead wanted to emphasize the importance of all the little fitness triumphs—because it’s focusing on those day-to-day, smaller accomplishments that help you stay on track towards meeting bigger goals. A huge motivator for me to break through those mini-walls (getting through one additional rep or holding a pose for those few extra seconds) is music. You know those songs that come on during a run and without realizing it, you’re suddenly moving twice as fast as you were? Or when you feel the beat build during a spin class and suddenly the drop comes and without your instructor even telling you to, your body just wants to sprint? Music is my everything during workouts.

I always love seeing what other people are listening to (if it weren’t rude, I’d bring my iPhone into group fitness classes all the time just to Shazam the instructor’s music), so I wanted to share with you all some tunes that are currently powering my workouts. There’s almost three hours worth of music on this playlist, so hopefully you’ll discover at least one new song you love! In addition to scrolling through the below player, you can check them all out (and download most of them) over on SoundCloud.

The #BeatYourImpossible campaign is in conjunction with the release of Jabra Sport Pulse Wireless, which are an in-ear wireless music and heart-rate monitoring earbuds. There’s limited availability because they’re so new, and I haven’t tried them out, but I’m totally intrigued. As you might recall from a previous post, I recently got a traditional heart rate monitor (watch and chest strap/monitor) and love the feedback it can provide about your workouts. How crazy is technology that there are now earbuds that can do that?? Instead of a monitor around your torso sending info to a watch/computer, the earbuds send info to the Jabra Sport Life app, so you can see all your workout data on your smartphone. They retail for $199 and you can check ‘em out HERE.

Your turn—what are you currently jamming out to? What songs keep you motivated to #BeatYourImpossible? Leave a comment or get social with it! You can connect with Jabra on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to share your story or favorite jams.