While we may still be missing our in-studio kickboxing, yoga, and spin classes—having at-home streaming options available has been a life saver! Fitness has been a huge stress relief for many while navigating this uncertain time. Plus, these IG Live workouts and streaming fitness services have given us the chance to sample workouts that we perhaps wouldn’t have been able to do before. NEOU, one of our favorites, is an on-demand wellness “marketplace” that offers thousands of fitness classes from over 100 different studios and instructors across the U.S. From dance and kickboxing to yoga and HIIT, there’s something for any workout mood you may be in.
Now, NEOU has launched Clean Eats, and Nutritious Life is a partner! Their goal is to help people get back on track with top-level nutrition education, and learn how and why making simple substitutions can lead to a healthier you. Hosted by Christi Marraccini, Clean Eats features fun and creative recipes from our very own Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN.
You’ll get easy, healthy recipes that even the most novice in the kitchen can prepare.
We sat down with Marraccini, certified trainer and head of production at NEOU, to discuss how she stays focused, prioritizes her health, and her favorite workout.
What are some of your tips to stay focused…especially now? Acknowledge the small wins. Many small accomplishments make it easier to accomplish larger ones. It seems silly, but give yourself credit for all the things you do…it can help lead to something great.
How often do you exercise, and what’s your workout of choice? My goal is four times a week. Boot camp and HIIT workouts are my GO-tos (my class on NEOU is called GO…see what I did there?), and I always try to add in a weekly run. On my crazy weeks when I know I don’t have as much time to work out, I will walk home from work…anything to just keep moving!
How do you motivate yourself (and others) to work out? Never have I said, “I wish I didn’t just take the time to do that,” after a workout. But, there have been many times when I skipped a workout only to curse myself for it later. I always think of the “after feeling.” Starting a workout can seem close to impossible some days, but I know I’ll be better for it in the end.
What if we only have a small window to work out…how long does a workout need to be to be effective? I just came out with a program called Fitness Fix on NEOU. It’s a 12-class program, and all the workouts are only 20 minutes. During quarantine, I found myself making excuses. Twenty minutes is absolutely enough time to get a full workout in.
Has it been hard to stay on track with your nutrition while in quarantine? YES! I went through many different phases: cooking every meal (but it was like I was cooking for six people and not two), wine and more wine, ordering take out, not eating enough…it goes on. I told myself one day, “This has got to stop.” Now, I have go-to meals for when I am working in the office, and when I am working from home. It has helped me tremendously.
What’s your go-to breakfast? A cup of coffee with whole milk to start every day. Once I start to get hungry, yogurt with fruit.
How do you pamper yourself when you need it? I let myself sleep in. During the week, I’m getting five to six hours of sleep. So, when I get the chance to sleep in, I don’t feel guilty about it. I believe sleep is the most important thing to maintaining good health.
(photo credit: NEOU)
