ATHLEISURE LIST | NORDIC STRONG

We're always looking for our next studio fitness to try out. Nordic Strong started in Copenhagan and this Summer will have a pop up in Sag Harbor from Memorial Day - Labor Day before opening a new location in the Flatiron District of NYC this Fall! Nicoline Roth is the Founder/CEO of this studio. She was born and raised in Copenhagen where she enjoyed hiking in the mountains in the Summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. Her workouts were rooted in nature, connection, and simplicity.

Nordic Strong's flagship studio opened in Copenhagen in November 2022. Every part of the brand - from the design to the name - reflects a deep connection to the Nordic “way of life.” Nordic speaks to the founder's roots in nature, movement, and a culture that prioritizes wellness, simplicity, and balance. It's about a mindset as opposed to a geographical reference. Strong refers to both the physical and mental elements. In addition to building physical strength in these classes, it's important to have inner strength, presence, confidence, and community that their training style and physical space help to cultivate.

There are 3 class formats which are different in style and intensity, but are centered around their patented fitness machine inspired by cross-country skiing.

Nordic Strong is their signature class that fuses strength with high energy, offering a full-body workout that combines intervals on the machine with floor-based work using dumbbells.

Nordic Cardio turns up the pace and is rooted in endurance-style training and focuses on getting your heart rate up through fast-paced intervals. You move between the machine and dynamic bodyweight exercises, and it’s all about boosting cardiovascular fitness and stamina.

Nordic Sculpt shifts into a slower, more controlled gear. It focuses on precision, balance, and deep muscle activation. The movements are inspired by Pilates and are designed to strengthen the muscles you don’t always target in high-intensity workouts. Every session ends with breathwork to help reset and ground you before heading back into your day.

The studio is intentional by design. The lounge and reception area are light, calm, and welcoming, furnished with Scandanavian design pieces that make it feel elevated but still cozy. Once you step into the training room, it’s darker, more focused, and designed to help you lock into your workout.

The lighting is inspired by the Northern Lights and changes throughout the class in intensity and color, emulating the parallel physical journey throughout a session.

NORDIC STRONG POP-UP

11 Bridge St

Sag Harbor, NY 11963

nordicstrong.com

IG @nordicstrong

PHOTO CREDITS | Nordic Strong

Read the MAY ISSUE #113 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Nordic Strong in mag.

UNSTOPPABLE | RASHEE RICE

We're few months out from the NFL being back, and athletes across the league are putting in the work to be ready for the upcoming season as they look at how they will achieve their goals individually as well as on their teams. With that in mind, we're excited to have LVIII Super Bowl Champion Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs as this month's cover star!

We sit down with him to talk about his love for the game, what it's like playing his position, being on the Chiefs, playing for this team, looking at the season ahead, and what he does entrepreneurially as well as philanthropically off the field!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with football?

RASHEE RICE: When I was about five years old, I played for my local community team in Philly called the Island Eagles.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to play football professionally?

RR: I realized I wanted to play professionally when I got my first college offer. It was

like a testament to me - getting a full ride scholarship showed me that I was good enough, and I felt like I could take it even further.

AM: What can you tell us about being a Wide Receiver?

RR: I think the number one thing is that all eyes are always on you. It’s always you versus the man in front of you. So, you get a lot of one-on-one opportunities to prove yourself. You have to make the most of every opportunity you get when the ball's coming your way.

AM: What does it mean to you to play for the Kansas City Chiefs?

RR: It means everything to me. I have the best quarterback in the NFL, the best tightend, and the right guys around me. I also have the best coach - someone I looked up to as a kid growing up in Philly and an Eagles fan. I love playing for KC because the city doesn’t have a NBA team , so we are all they got to represent the city right now and I really enjoy that. We love that and we continue to embrace that.

AM: You played at SMU and had an amazing rookie season which culminated in a Super Bowl ring! What can you tell us about your football career and what the first year meant to you?

RR: I can tell you it wasn’t easy. It took a while for me to get situated and comfortable with who I wanted to surround myself with on the team and learn from. It was a grind - it was the longest season I have ever experienced, transitioning from college to the NFL. Dealing with the transition and training was hard, but paid off.

AM: You're entering your 2nd year in the NFL with this team, what are you looking forward to?

RR: I’m looking forward to competing and showing the the world that I am one of the top receivers in the NFL.

AM: What is it like playing with Patrick Mahomes II as well as other members from this championship caliber team and what have you learned from them?

RR: Playing with Pat and the rest of the guys has been amazing. They already had that championship mindset that I wanted to learn from. So coming in, working and being able to be around them showed me I am capable of being a champion - all I have to do is follow their lead.

AM: What are 3 workouts that you do to optimize yourself in the sport that would be great for our community who are interested in adding items to their routines?

RR: Ladder drills – These help keep your feet quick and ready.

Catching tennis balls – The smaller ball forces you to focus on the catch, improving hand-eye coordination.

Conditioning – Running and endurance training help me stay in shape and prepare for any route I have to run.

AM: What have the past few months been like for you as you have been preparing for your second season?

RR: I’ve been focusing on by making sure my body and mindset are where they need to be. I have been focusing on my training and workouts, also spending time with my close family and friends.

AM: With the 2025 season coming up, what can you tell us about what game day is like for you in terms of things that you do on Sunday ahead of hitting the field and what you do after finishing your game?

RR: On game day, I wake up and pray, then start to get ready to head to the stadium,

depending on game time. When I get there I usually have some type of meeting or walkthrough. Overall, game day is a relaxed day for me. The most important thing for me is music – it’s everything. I listen to music all day getting my mindset right before hitting the field.

AM: Outside of the game, how do you take time for yourself when you're not training, preparing for the next game etc?

RR: I really love being in the crib and I love watching movies. My perfect day off is sitting on the couch, having some good food and watching a good movie.

AM: Tell us about Sun Walker, your clothing line!

RR: Sun Walker is my passion outside of football. It’s my clothing line that I recently dropped, that symbolizes my life. The sun represents the spotlight, and the Sun Walker represents me - everything I have overcome and will continue to overcome.

It reflects my journey and the transition of becoming the person I always hoped to be.

AM: How do you give back philanthropically?

RR: I do a lot for my community, I try to give back to every city that has been a part of my journey thus far. This past season, I held a Thanksgiving Drive for the families of Kansas City. I held a Christmas Drive for the children of Big Brother, Big Sister of Dallas. We were able to take them shopping at Target for some gifts. In April, I’m having an event for the kids of North Richland Hills, the city where I went to middle school and high school, to come out and have fun. In May, I’ll be having a free football camp in Dallas/Fort Worth, the city I attended college. So, I’m definitely doing some things to give back and going to continue to do some more initiatives in the future.

IG @doub11e_r

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT + BACK COVER, PG 17 - 21 AFTR-DRK | PG 24 Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire | PG 26 + 28 Rashee Rice | PG 26 Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire |

Read the MAR ISSUE #111 of Athleisure Mag and see UNSTOPPABLE | Rashee Rice in mag.

THE LEGACY OF 101 | FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.

This month, we took a moment with the GOAT , boxing great, promoter, and entrepreneur Floyd Mayweather Jr! When he boxed professionally from 1996 - 2017, he won 15 major championships, was undefeated with a 50-0 record, fought in 5 separate weight classes and has a number of records that are still unbroken!

Even after he retired professionally, he still boxes in exhibition fights; continues to train; and has an amazing portfolio that includes: The Money Team, Mayweather Promotions, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Gyms, his real estate investment firm VADA Properties and most recently 1 of 1 his supplement brand. He continues to extend his brand across verticals! We wanted to know more about how he came to boxing, his approach to his fights, his legacy, and how he looks at adding to his projects and portfolio.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is it about boxing that drew you in and why do you love it?

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR: Boxing has been a part of my life since day one. My father and my uncle were fighters, so I grew up in the gym, watching and learning. What drew me in was the challenge—the mental and physical battle of proving you are the best. I love the strategy, the discipline, and the hard work it takes to stay at the top. Boxing is not just about throwing punches; it’s about skill, precision, and intelligence. That’s why I dominated the sport for decades.

AM: On Feb 12th, you launched 101. Why did you want to create a supplement brand?

FM JR: During my training sessions through the years, everyone was always asking which supplements kept me at the top of my game. That curiosity sparked the decision to eventually create my own line, a clean brand that is science backed and delivers on its promise. There are too many brands out there in the marketplace that still contain unsafe ingredients, so I set out to create 101 to give consumers a trusted product they can feel working. When a trusted product they can feel working. When it comes to my fitness and nutrition, I refuse to settle for less, and I want the same for athletes of all levels.

AM: What was the process like for you in creating this brand and what was the most important part of the formulation to you?

FM JR: In collaboration with industry leader Magnum Nutraceuticals, we worked hand in hand to ensure products contained only the best ingredients and have met the highest standards. Products went through rigorous testing, are backed by science, innovation, and are truly determined to be safe and effective. Simply put, athletes will feel the difference and see the results with the supplements which is why I created the One of One brand.

AM: Tell us about the initial supplements that you started with and when do you take them?

FM JR: The line of products from 101 helps any athlete’s journey, from energy and endurance to recovery and hydration. There are some products that I take daily. Whey Protein delivers high-quality protein and prebiotic fiber, and digestive enzymes for smooth digestion and muscle recovery. Greens + Gut Health helps supercharge my daily nutrients. It is packed with superfoods, prebiotic fiber, and essential vitamins to promote gut health and digestion. Peptide Builder is scientifically proven to enhance muscle growth and recovery. I reach for our Hydration to keep hydrated and to help with muscle cramping.

There are 3 products that are best used as part of your training regime. Sport Pre-Workout is meant for more moderate energy and endurance and includes caffeine for an additional boost in energy and strength. Loaded Pre-Workout is what I take before looking for high-intensity, extreme focus and maximum blood flow to carry more oxygen to my muscles. Creatine Monohydrate I also take before working out, to help with performance and cognitive function.

Together all these products provide a complete toolset to fuel performance, enhance endurance, and accelerate recovery.

AM: Are there plans to include additional products within this assortment?

FM JR: Yes, we definitely have plans to launch several new innovative supplements, several are in development and testing currently. We will be continuously looking to bring new innovative products to meet the needs of our One of One community on their fitness journey. Watch this space to see what innovations 101 will be bringing consumers next to stay ahead of the game.

AM: In your career you have fought in 5 weight classes. When you make that decision to navigate those classes what are the things that you have to do in order to prepare for that class?

FM JR: Moving through weight classes is all about preparation and making the right adjustments. It is not just about gaining or losing weight—it is about maintaining speed, power, and endurance while adapting to different styles of opponents. I worked closely with my team to ensure I was always in peak condition, no matter the division. We focused on nutrition, strength training, and the right fight strategy for each weight class. Every move I made was calculated, and that is why I remained undefeated.

AM: You have had a number of memorable fights, what are 3 fights or moments that are a favorite in your career?

FM JR: I have had so many great moments, but three fights stand out:

Oscar De La Hoya (2007) – This was a turning point in my career. It was the biggest fight in boxing at the time, and when I won, I became the face of the sport.

Manny Pacquiao (2015) – The world waited for this fight for years, and when it finally happened, I showed why I was the best. It was a masterclass in skill and strategy.

Emanuel Augustus (2000) – Not the biggest name, but one of the toughest fights I ever had. He was unpredictable, but I adapted and proved I could handle any style.

AM: You do exhibition bouts after retiring from professional boxing - why is this important to you to continue to engage in the sport in this way and for you, is the training different?

FM JR: Exhibitions allow me to keep doing what I love while giving fans around the world a show. I accomplished everything I needed to in professional boxing, so now it is about enjoying the sport on my own terms. The training is different. I do not have to prepare for 12-round wars, but I still stay sharp, stay in shape, and put on great performances. It is about continuing to entertain and inspire.

AM: Tell us what a week is like with you in the gym and your wellness game. What are 3 exercises that we can do if we want to train like Floyd Mayweather Jr?

FM JR: I train every day because staying in shape is a lifestyle for me. My workouts focus on endurance, speed, and skill. Three exercises I recommend for anyone who wants to train like me:

Jump Rope – It builds endurance, improves footwork, and sharpens coordination.

Pad Work – Essential for speed, accuracy, and defensive reflexes.

Core Training – A strong core gives you power, balance, and control in the ring.

AM: You retired with an undefeated record 50-0, won 15 major World Championships across 5 weight classes, 3X BWAA Fighter of the Year, 6X Best Fighter ESPY Award, inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021, and you are known as one of the best defensive boxers in history, and as the most accurate puncher, and one of the most lucrative pay-per-view attractions across any sport - what does it mean to you to have all of these accolades?

FM JR: It means I did exactly what I set out to do. I dominated the sport for over two decades, stayed undefeated, and broke records that may never be touched. People will always debate who the greatest is, but my record speaks for itself. I mastered the sport, changed the business of boxing, and walked away on top.

AM: I've been a fan of boxing since I was 3 years old so I grew up watching Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Manny Pacquiao, Marvin Hagler, and you. What do you want your legacy to be known as in this sport?

FM JR: I want my legacy to be simple: The Best Ever. Not just because of my record, but because of how I changed the game. I showed that boxing is about intelligence, strategy, and discipline. I controlled my career, I made the biggest fights happen, and I made sure I was paid what I deserved. That is the blueprint I want future generations to follow.

AM: Tell us about TMT.

FM: JR: The Money Team is about hard work, dedication, and smart decision-making. People see the success, the cars, the watches, but what they don’t see is the discipline that got me here. TMT represents a mindset - believing in yourself, staying focused, and never settling for less than what you are worth.

AM: Why did you create Mayweather Promotions and what are some upcoming events that we should keep an eye out for?

FM JR: I created Mayweather Promotions because I wanted to take control of my career and help other fighters do the same. Too many athletes let other people hand their business, and they end up with nothing. I made sure I controlled my own destiny. Now, Mayweather Promotions is one of the biggest brands in boxing. We have exciting events coming up, and we are always looking for the next superstar.

AM: You have been in the fitness and wellness space for some time with the Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Gyms. What does it mean to you to offer boxing fitness in a studio format?

FM JR: It is about making boxing training accessible to everyone. You do not have to be a professional fighter to train like one. Boxing is one of the best workouts in the world, and with Mayweather Boxing + Fitness, people can experience my training style in a fun, high-energy environment. It is about building confidence, discipline, and physical strength.

AM: We shoot a number of our editorials in luxury residences here in NY and your diversified portfolio also includes real estate where you founded VADA which has properties here in NY including 410 Tenth Ave Hudson Yards, The Copper, Two Sutton as well as properties in Jersey City, Chicago and The Villa Casa Casuarina at the former Versace Mansion in Miami - it's quite an assortment. Why is having this in your portfolio important to you?

FM JR: Real estate is about building wealth for the future. I made my money in boxing, but I invested it wisely. I own properties across the country because I understand that money has to work for you. The goal is to create generational wealth, and real estate is a major part of that strategy.

AM: We can't talk about you without talking about your style from your luxury brands, diamond necklaces, insane bags, and more. Why do you love fashion?

FM JR: Fashion is about expressing success. When you work hard, you should be able to enjoy the rewards. I take pride in my style, whether it's a custom suit, a designer bag, or a one-of-a-kind watch. Everything I wear is a reflection of my success

IG @floydmayweather

@youare_1of1

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 20 Floyd Mayweather Jr. | PG 23 + 24 Floyd Mayweather Jr./IG | PG 26 + 32 Gene Blevins Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire | PG 28 Jeff Gritchen/ZUMApress.com/Icon Sportswire | PG 30 Chris Farina/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire |

Read the FEB ISSUE #110 of Athleisure Mag and see THE LEGACY OF 101 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | THE CLASS

Taryn Toomey created The Class as a lifelong student of transformation and through her personal healing journey in 2011 which combines somatic healing and self-discovery. It incorporates yoga, psychodynamic therapy, EMDR, sound work, and trauma healing. She shared with us that, "over a decade in, I'm incredibly fortunate to step into The Class every day and have the opportunity to meet people where they are-inviting them to move through whatever they're carrying while building strength in both body and mind. The community we've built over the years is the deepest testament to its power - a shared experience that brings people together in ways that are both personal and profoundly collective."

Attend The Class In-Person at the NYC Studio in Tribeca and their LA Studio is based in Santa Monica. All offerings are available through The Class’s Digital Studio, where they can choose from a library of on-demand classes and daily live streams that are available in over 75 countries.

You can expect an immersive experience that blends repetitive movement, breathwork, and cathartic sound. Attendees often come to the studio to unlock stuck energy, reconnect with oneself, and cultivate mind-body awareness—all while breaking a sweat and having fun.

The Class offers a range of sessions (The Class, Sculpt, Yoga, Meditation), length and physical intensity. The Class even offers pre/post-natal specific programming. Studios offer daily, in-person Classes, many of which are livestreamed for the Digital Studio. Regular Community Classes with sliding-scale pricing ensure accessibility or all.

Attendees can enjoy a thoughtfully curated selection of skincare products, including face wash, serums, and moisturizers from brands like Routine and Om Organics. Water fountains are also available.

If this is your first visit, it is suggested that wearing comfortable exercise clothing and bringing a water bottle. Sneakers are not mandatory, but first-time students are encouraged to start with sneakers. Come to your mat with an open mind and willing spirit!

If you're looking to experience The Class for free via the Digital Studio, you can try their 14-Day Free Trial which is perfect for newcomers looking to explore its benefits.

You can take The Class Retreatment May 20-24 in Ibiza. This is a transformative 4 day retreat centered around movement, mindfulness, and community, set in the stunning backdrop of Ibiza.

THE CLASS

22 Park Place, 3rd Fl

NY, NY 10007

2433 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA 90405

theclass.com

IG @theclass

PHOTO CREDIT | The Class

Read the FEB ISSUE #110 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | The Class in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | SALTDROP

We kicked off the year by trying out SaltDrop, a methodology that combines music-driven, high-energy sculpting and conditioning with intentional, feel-good movement designed to make you stronger, lighter and more connected. We took our class with Founder/Creator Dino Malvone who launched it in Oct 2019, continued in his apartment during the pandemic, and then in March 2022 he brought it to the current studio that he is located in.

He felt that fitness felt intimidating and exclusive and he wanted to create a space where regardless of your fitness, level, age, or background - you could feel successful in this methodology. His passion for movement, music, and community and to celebrate who you are was important to him. We can agree that in taking his classes, those vibes come across as he encourages you to listen to your body and to modify as needed (even if those modifications may be different then the ones he suggests).

You can sign up for Signature which is the core of SaltDrop. It's a high-energy, music-driven class that blends strength and cardio into a full-body sculpt session where you will move and sweat. Gravity is the Signature class but doesn't have jumping and is great for a grounded, low-impact effective option. We took Heated Sculpt which is a no-jumping, strength-focused class in a heated room at 90°. The heat deepens the intensity and helps you stretch, sweat, and release tension. Heated HIIT is their take on a low-impact HIIT class. It's fast-paced, challenging, and powered by an epic playlist, all while staying kind to your joints. We can agree that we felt better than we walked in after class and can't wait to come back and add this to our rotation of classes and we highly suggest taking a class led by Dino!

If you can't come to class in person, his classes are available on his digital platform offers live-streamed and on-demand classes to help you experience SaltDrop from anywhere.

In the weeks ahead, you should check out SaltDrop In February as they are hosting a "Love on Yourself" Valentine's Day event that combines movement with self-care. Once Spring arrives, keep an eye out for outdoor pop-up classes and collaborations as it is important to Dino to take SaltDrop beyond the studio walls to connect with their community in new ways.

We enjoyed this class so much that we want to encourage you to book a class. Use ATHLEISURE20 for 20% off whether taking a class in the studio or On Demand (code expires March 1st) when booking your class with Atheisure Mag Summit codes.

SALTDROP

61 4th Ave Third Floor

NY, NY 10003

thesaltdrop.com

IG @thesaltdrop

PHOTO CREDITS | SaltDrop

Read the JAN ISSUE #109 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | SaltDrop in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | JENNA WILLIS

Read the DEC ISSUE #108 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Jenna Willis in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | KAMIE CRAWFORD

Read the OCT ISSUE #106 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Kamie Crawford in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | CHANEL IMAN

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Chanel Iman in mag.

THE 9LIST

Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST in mag.

PICKLEBALL POWER

We were invited to Life Time at PENN 1 for an exclusive event for their VIP Pickleball event that allows us to see the unveiling of their 7 courts at this location in Midtown, NYC! The event kicked off with a conversation with the company's founder, Bahram Akradi, Founder and CEO as well as tennis icon, Andre Agassi, with 60 ATP Tour Wins, 8 Grand Slam Titles (Singles – Australian Open 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003; French Open 1999; Wimbledon 1992; US Open 1994, 1999), and Team USA Tennis Olympic Gold Medalist for the Summer Games in 1996. This tennis champ has been passionate about pickleball and won $1M and the Pickleball Slam 1 2023 with his partner Andy Roddick against John McEnroe and Michael Chang. This year, he won the $1M purse and Pickleball Slam 2 with his wife, Steffi Graf as they beat John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova.

Andre was recently announced as inaugural chair of the Life Time Pickleball and Tennis Board with the goal of expanding access, enhancing programming and building community.

In addition to the Q+A we saw both men play exhibition tournaments with JOOLA Pros Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and Tyson McGuffin.

LIFE TIME: Ladies and Gentleman welcome to our VIP Pickleball Event that is launching the 7 gorgeous new pickleball courts that we have here at Lifetime Pickleball in the heart of NYC! Today, we’re also partnering with JOOLA Pickleball as they recently launched their Generation 3 line of paddles with JOOLA Pros’ Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and newcomer to JOOLA, Tyson McGuffin. All of them will be joining us in just a few moments.

Before that, I’d like to introduce 2 dynamic men! An ambassador in the world of health and fitness, along with being champions of the JOOLA and Life Time brands. One of these men is the Founder and CEO of Life Time, the other, career highlights include the winner of the first ever Pickle Slam partnering with Andy Roddick, side note is that he also won 8 Grand Slams and has an Olympic Gold medal! Let’s have a round of applause for Andre Agassi and Bahram Akradi.

So Andre, pickleball, what’s the first thing that you thought when you heard that word for the first time?

ANDRE AGASSI: I thought, why that name? Then I took 15mins to just sit with it and it took about a 20min learning curve and I fell in love with it.

LT: How about you Bahram, the first time that you heard of pickleball, what went through your mind?

BAHRAM AKRADI: At first I thought that it was just a sport for very, very, very, old people.

LT: So what is this sport, who are the people that play, and now we’re here in NYC specifically, talking about pickleball. So Bahram, when you first played, you said that we had to get more of this here at Life Time. And now, Life Time is the biggest provider of pickleball courts in the country. What was your vision for pickleball at first and has it come to fruition?

BA: Yes, so, I remember playing tennis in some of our other clubs and I saw these taped lines on the courts and I found it was because people were trying to play pickleball on them. Then people just started asking for us to have courts that were specific to this game. So I thought, well if I give them courts designed for pickleball, they will stop putting tape on my pickleball courts!

So we took one club and we took 1 tennis court and make it into 4 Pickleball courts and we did that to another tennis court. So then I thought that that would be the end of that! Then once I started playing it, I did it for 2 hours and I got hooked. I started with doubles, and then I began playing singles and that’s when I saw the opportunity for this sport! I saw how all kinds of people at all kinds of levels could play. We had the opportunity to have people come here with our large facilities, we have quickly grown to become the largest owner and operator of permanent pickleball courts, topping more than 680 permanent courts nationwide (including the most in New York City with nine), and serving as a host site for multiple MLP and PPA tournaments nationwide in addition to its own Pickleball Classic. So we wanted to take a run at it and I think that we have done that!

LT: To you Andre, what about your process of being a pickleball player as well as looking at your phenomenal tennis career?

AA: First of all, I just want to know with everyone that’s here, how many of you have played pickleball? Look at all these hands – why are you asking me this question haha?

For me, what I really appreciated so quickly about it separately from inside the lines is when you’re playing tennis, you have to spend a 1-2.5 years before the game opens up to you. It’s that feeling that you’re not so concerned with what you are doing with the ball – you’re thinking of what you are trying to accomplish. With pickle, you’re able to get out there and connect quickly and there is a low point of injury involved.

Then there is the dynamics of family as my extended family as well as my wife’s who are from Germany when they come, we can all play together and we’re all different levels. I would say that we would all be out there – aunts, uncles, cousins, etc and no one had their phones out for 2 hours. The phones are on the side.

For me, what the hell can I do at this age that I can actually get better at? I mean I have gotten better at so many things in my life already – except for pickleball and I am getting better! You know, I’m a tortured perfectionist and when I think about playing pickleball versus tennis, the thrill of having to unlearn some of the sensibilities that I had as a tennis player right? But I also had to maintain some skills right? I am able to put my mind to the task and I get the reward of seeing all of that come together and I can only see this sport continuing to grow as it has. I feel that if we have X amount of people playing right now, we’ll be able to 10X that in no time at all!

LT: Andre is long on pickleball, I love that!

Now, you had mentioned that you have been playing with your family – your wife – I mean she’s major! Do you prefer playing with her or against her?

AA: I mean, she has crossed some finish lines in her life!

LT: A lot of us have significant others, spouses, that we play with so it’s always interesting to know!

AA: I like playing on her side because we are connected and that’s how you start to really understand what your partner is like and what you can and can’t do and to start morphing into their game. It’s cool to be on the same side of the net and that way you won’t feel guilty body bagging her! I mean, she has a few shots that are unique and then there are other things that don’t translate so well. She wants to play everything pretty traditionally. She’s always expressed her energy and her blood pressure through physical output so she was like a racehorse on the tennis court, but for me, my energy was always shot making when I was on the tennis court. It was about taking the ball and doing something with it.

So some things translate a lot easier when playing pickleball, but it’s fun watching her get past that first part and then seeing her get into her stride in this game. She just started playing singles after starting with doubles and you know, there’s one thing I don’t know how this sport works with someone who struggles with their knees. So she’s being careful and she has a cyst in her knee so once that thing gets drained and her knee feels good, she wants to play singles.

LT: Andre, just so you know, that was also a singles challenge right there for Bahram to play Steffani in singles. Are your kids approaching you to play pickleball or are you approaching them?

AA: Well, my kids – my son is a senior at USC and our daughter, thank God still lives with us at home as education and school wasn’t her thing. She’s artistic and does her own thing, she’ll get out there and play. My son plays baseball so when he hits something, he’s not thinking about it staying within a certain perimeter.

LT: He likes to be out there with the foul balls!

Bahram, how did you and Andre meet and what makes you excited to bringing Andre on board as the Chair for Raquet and Paddle Sports here at Life Time?

BA: We started working together 15 years ago and we continued to grow as really close friends. I have all the love and admiration for his intelligence and athleticism. I have always loved Andre and I have always hoped that when the right time came, that we would be able to partner together and to do something good that would be for the greater good. Life Time is the largest provider of pickleball and we wanted to be able to continue to deliver and offer tennis and pickleball and there was no better person that I could imagine to be the chair of our tennis and pickleball board. With his vision, his insight and I called him and asked what he thought about this. When he told me about his vision and how it would utilize our platform, it was a no-brainer for me.

LT: Andre, we are approaching the 30th Anniversary of you winning your very first US Open. What kind of memories does that bring back for you?

AA: Well, I had hair.

LT: Where were we then? Was it touching your shirt?

AA: The hair was going past the shirt!

You know, it’s such a profound place in my professional journey as well as in my personal journey. You guys not only watched me grow up, you helped me grow up. You really did. I was 18 years old playing Jimmy Connors at night giving him the beating that he deserved! Someone yelled out, “Jimmy, he’s a bum, you’re a legend!” and I remember thinking that I got the legend part, but what? Then fast forward and I got into something that I had done my whole life in front of those people and then down the road after my journey, saying goodbye when I finally retired.

LT: Well I mean, we have an exhibition coming up shortly today!

AA: Yeah, I was told about that! I’m ready!

LT: On that note, let’s bring in our 4 JOOLA Pros, Anna Bright, Collin Johns, Ben Johns, and JOOLA newcomer, Tyson McGuffin! Come on down here! So we’re going to ask our pros a few questions right now so that we can get to know them a little better and then we will head down to the Life Time Pickleball courts as we have a a whole stadium court set up. I wonder if you thought about that this morning Andre?

AA: Ok, I’ m nervous enough!

LT: I mean, it’s almost like a US Open crowd!

So starting off with Anna since you have a microphone in your hand, what excites you the most about pickleball?

ANNA BRIGHT: I think you know, it’s so cool that everybody is here to experience the joy of pickleball and to see us and to watch it! What I love most is the growth of it and not knowing where the sport is going to take us! When I first started playing 2 and a half years ago, I never thought that I would be here in NYC to play a tournament here to meet people and to talk about this game! There’s on way to really know how this game will look in a year or 2 years especially since you have the Pro level and I feel like we’re always kind of being pulled around on a chain by the powers that be, but it’s crazy to see the growth of the amateur game and I hope that we will be back here next year and will need more seating! I’m kind of excited and I don’t even know for what specifically, but I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next few years.

LT: Bright future, Anna Bright! Hopefully we will need more seating and have more people in here next year.

Tyson, I’ve watched you drill on the courts and a 2 hour session turns into a 3 hour session and I think that your T-shirts were more wet than is humanly possible. What are you working on to improve your pickleball game? More specifically, to beat these 3 people around you actually and to beat up on Mr. Agassi today?

TYSON MCGUFFIN: Yeah I think that for me, I have lost some top matches this year. So I think that walking in and raising the level mentally and being a little tougher in those moments. I think that at the highest level, we are all really talented and it’s just about that when the going gets tough and your back is against the wall, you just have to mentally lock in and dial in. I want to say thank you New York and let’s go New York Knicks!

LT: Collin, you’re a professional pickleball player. There was a time when you were not a professional pickleball player.

What advice would you give to somebody that is trying to be a professional pickleball player or what's one thing that was really integral in your path as you went Pro?

COLLIN JOHNS: Um, being Ben’s brother probably is a good start. The tennis journey, I did that for many years and then coming over to pickleball, I think that that just let me witness that I was playing a different sport. There are certain things that are going to help you as background significantly, but there are other things that you have to learn how to change. If you look at the players that have had the most success, especially relatively rapidly – they are very open to learning the game and that was really good for me. It was certainly a credit to the guy on my left that helped me along the way. But, the event today and one I did yesterday, it’s just amazing to see where the sport has grown since I started playing. I’m very excited about being here today.

LT: Speaking of the guy to your left, Ben, you’re the middle of 7 children! What was it like growing up? Was it constant sports and competition of those 7 kids? Who was the most competitive?

BEN JOHNS: Yeah, I grew up as 1 of 7 kids, but also 1 of the 2 boys as we have 5 sisters so it was primarily just sports with this guy. Pickleball is the only thing that I ever won. So, I’m really just taking my sweet time with it! He is 6 years older and it was very competitive. So when you have someone that much older than you, you just get used to losing at everything! But it was a great upbringing and I wouldn’t do it over in any other way. I was very grateful and it all led me here!

IG @bahram.akradi

@lifetime.life

@agassi

@annabright.pb

@benjohns_pb

@collinjohns_pb

@tysonmcguffin

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Life Time

Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see PICKLEBALL POWER in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | HOT BONES

When you're in Detroit, head to HOT BONES which opened December 2023. HOT BONES' speaks to:

• Hot yoga and pilates classes which range from 85-100F, using an advanced infrared heating system, that heats the body from the inside. They believe that their community deserves the benefit of both modalities without multuple memberships. For Pilates, they offer HIIT Pilates and a Sculpt Pilates class, For Yoga, they have Sculpt Yoga (with weights), Power Yoga, Slow Flow Yoga, and Restorative Yoga.

• Hot bone broth is made and sold in small batches of beef and chicken bone broth made from organic bones that simmer for 48 hours.

• Hot architectural bones, as the studio is located in an adaptive reuse building with beautiful historic architectural bones.

• Hot Bones, believes that every person, despite ethnicity, body type, and socio-economic background, is made from the same bones.

For centuries, bone broth has been a foundation for health, immunity and healing in most cultures — ramen, pho, matzo ball soup, brodo, and chicken noodle soup to name a few. Bone broth is beneficial for:

• Recovery and athletic performance: Post-workout recovery that replenishes essential nutrients and promotes muscle repair and growth.

• Joint and bone strength: Collagen to strengthen bones, reduce joint pain, and improve mobility.

• Electrolytes & other nutrients: Nutritional powerhouse, containing essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids such as glycine and proline to support a healthy immune system and overall well-being.

• Detoxification and immunity boost: Rich nutrients boost the immune system, assisting the body in fighting off illnesses and infections.

• Improved sleep: Amino acid glycine has a calming effect on the body to improve sleep quality.

• Social connection: Opportunity to connect with friends after class when endorphins are released to reduce stress and improve mood. Before and after classes, people often meet in the lobby or outdoor patio to connect while sipping on a cup of bone broth. The studio is thoughtfully designed to feel like an extension of a curated home and has a collection of print publications from the local magazine store.

While at the studio, enjoy all necessary equipment, including mats, towels, weights, resistance brands, and balls at no cost for each guest.

HOT BONES

2895 E Grand Blvd,

Detroit MI 48202

hotbonesdetroit.com

IG @hotbonesdetroit

PHOTO CREDIT | Christina Stoever

Read the MAY ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Hot Bones in mag.

PUSHING NEW LIMITS | JENNA WILLIS

Focusing on our health is multi-layered as it's about working out, nutrition, recovering our body, and wellness. By combining these elements together you're on the track to creating a 360 approach to doing what is best for your body.

We caught up with Jenna Willis who is know for her celebrity clientele that includes Liza Koshy (Boo! A Madea Halloween, Transformers: Rise of the Beast, Good Burger 2), Lala Kent (Vanderpump Rules, The Valley, MAY ISSUE #29 cover in 2018) and Camila Cabello. We've gotten to know her through seeing her on Vanderpump Rules as well as on her Instagram.

We wanted to find out how she became a celeb trainer, the impact of fitness on her life, her approach to working with clients, how we can approach our fitness goals, and her upcoming projects.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited to talk with you as the first time we became aware of you was when we had Lala Kent as the cover and we shot with her. In her interview we were asking about her physique and how she got to looking so amazing and she was like, “oh my God, Jenna Willis!”

JENNA WILLIS: Oh that’s so nice - so thank you! Truly and it makes me so happy.

I was literally with Lala today training with her as we’re now in her 2nd pregnancy now and we’ve gotta keep her body on track to snap back the day after!

AM: She always looks great and you also have other clients that I’m a fan of like Liza Koshy and I know our readers will love learning more about you and your fitness approach!

When was the moment that you fell in love with fitness?

JW: Wow, you know it’s one of those things where you look back and it all makes sense. But when you’re in it, you don’t realize how impactful it is and how it has pretty much supported me my entire life! I started off doing Tiny Tots Gymnastics when I was 3 years old. So fitness – what’s interesting to me is that fitness is fun! A lot of people forget that. My true ah ha moment, I have actually had 2. I transferred colleges and I went to a school in NY called Wagner College where I was actually the tiniest Division I volleyball player in the nation so I was playing volleyball for this school. I always knew I wanted to move to LA to pursue acting because that was my dream. I was literally like going to my parents saying that I was up and moving and going to LA. They were like, “cool, good luck!” But they also added that I could do that or I could transfer and study whatever I wanted and graduate. So at the age of 19, I packed up a bag, moved across the country with 6 girls that I had never met before – this was back in the day! I was on a call with the girl in LA and she was like, “do you want to move into this house with us for the summer?” I was like sure. I show up and girl, we were sharing a bed for the summer and we had never met in my life – to this day, she is one of my best friends!

AM: Wow!

JW: The point of the story is that I moved to LA, I didn’t know what a sesh is like a Surf Sesh – all of these terms. All of these boys and all of this lifestyle stuff. I was like, I’m just going to live and enjoy extracurricular activities like Beer Pong right? About 5 months in to doing that, this was the first time in my life that I was not exercising. In the middle of a sorority meeting, I was laid out with a panic attack and it was the first time in my life that I had realized that fitness literally saves me. That was the first realization. I think that because it had always been part of my life because I always played sports, I played volleyball in college, and I never realized how impactful it truly was until that moment.

The second time, it was 2015 and I was actually on Vanderpump Rules at that time and I was also on a TV show called, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story - which was one of the best years of my life and then quickly went to one of the hardest years of my life. I stepped away from Vanderpump Rules, I was engaged to someone for 8 years and then we broke up and that ended, and then my management at the time left the industry and I just felt that I was left with nothing! My fiancé and I had broken up, I was no longer on Vanderpump Rules, and my acting career had not gone the way that I thought it would after booking the OJ series and I went into a very bad situational depression and my anxiety was through the roof and I summoned up the energy to get to the gym one day. I told myself that enough was enough. I go to the gym and I quickly realized that one of the few times out of my day that I felt present, I felt alive and felt good – that was how I became a trainer.

AM: That’s what I was going to ask you, how did you know that this was going to be your career because working out for yourself and knowing what to do for your body is so different than having clients and doing this for them.

JW: Yeah, I mean, honestly you can’t make this shit up! I was going to the gym and I knew I was feeling better. I got a call one day and a friend of a friend from college said, “hey, we need a fitness model for this job.” I thought, I’m not a model, but sure!

AM: I’m not a model, but I am today haha!

JW: This fun day of shooting and doing fitness stuff made me think, “wow, this is really cool!” So I'm going to the gym, I’m starting to workout and I’m feeling better, I’m doing this fitness modeling thing. I’m at the gym one day and I’m working out. Mind you, I’ve been let go from Villa Blanca which is how I ended up on Vanderpump Rules. They were like, “Jenna, you haven’t made a shift in a month.” It was a dream for me to not ever have to go back to a restaurant again and I mean that in the most kindest way, but it was a goal that I had set for myself to try something new in life and to pursue my dream of acting.

I’m at the gym working out and a girl comes up to me and says, “oh my gosh, that move! Do you work here?” I told her no, but that this is how you do it. I kid you not, the next day I go to the gym, I’m on the cable machine, I’ll never forget it doing some chest on my massive non-existent boobs and another girl comes up and says, “woah, you’re really strong, do you work here?” I told her no, but this is what you do. Next day, at the gym, doing something for my butt of course, and a girl comes up and says, “I have really been trying to target the glutes” – she didn’t know what to call it, but I call it the Booty Dimples. Right like that little side part that we all want to focus on and I was hitting that real hard and she was like, “my gosh that move! Do you work here?” I’m not kidding, I looked at her and I said, “yes, I do!” I was like how can I help you? Then I helped her and I let her know that I didn’t really work there, but I went home and I was 30 at this point and I was like, if I have ever gotten a message in my life, this is it!

I went online and figured out the certification that I needed to get and which one I was going to do. I completed my certification in 2 months and it was a goal of mine to hit the ground running in 2017 and I got certified as a trainer and in CPR First Aid and I hit the ground running.

It changed my life! Yet again, fitness changed my life on a whole other level. I will tell you 1 thing. When I was 9 years old, I went to see a musical, The Newsies and I was sitting in the audience and I had this feeling of euphoria and that’s when I knew I wanted to be an actor because I wanted to give people the same thing I feel right now for the rest of my life. I get to do that now with training. I get to make people feel amazing. So you put the dots together and you get this path together! Now, there’s a lot of road there and there’s going to be a lot of bumps on that path.

AM: Oh yeah!

JW: It makes sense.

AM: It will be a mix in terms of result and what happens along the way. So it’s amazing that you found it and made it make sense.

JW: It’s been really cool and what I will say is when I made that decision from being on Vanderpump and being in that world some what – all of the girls got very excited. Lala was literally like, start training me.

AM: You were just on an episode the other week of the current season.

JW: Yeah! So that’s so cool, well it’s full circle as I get to go back and I can train them on the show. It’s so cool!

AM: It’s amazing, you have trained her, Camila Cabello, Liza – you have has so many amazing people. How important is that client to trainer relationship? What are you looking for when it comes to deciding to train someone as a client?

JW: You know what’s funny? It’s such an intimate relationship to train someone. What someone looks for in me is what I am also looking for in them. Which is a partnership and the ability to go through thick and thin together as well as the high and lows with one another – there will be both. I am definitely a supporter kind of trainer. We’re going to laugh in our sessions and you’re as sure as shit going to feel the burn and hate me a little bit. But the session will be over and you’ll be like, wow that went fast! I think that that’s what a client looks for. You’re hanging out in very strange circumstances and in those circumstances, you’re going to feel the burn, you’ll hate me a little, but then you will love me because you walk away feeling amazing.

AM: How would you describe your fitness method?

JW: My whole thing is that I have always been the weird kid and my thing is that we should embrace the awkward of fitness. I grew up an athlete, I have 3 older brothers, I had to be an athlete, I had to defend myself. My whole philosophy is to make fitness tangible and fun and something that can be done anywhere and anytime truly. People get so caught up in the major overhaul of life and what I like doing is to make it part of life.

AM: So for those just starting this journey, what would be the focus that they should be looking at or maybe beyond the goal of what it is that they want to do?

JW: Totally, there’s a few things that I recommend right off the bat. Start walking! It sounds so simple, but it makes such a difference. Once you create a routine of just getting up and walking outside, you’re creating that window to move - you release those endorphins and serotonin to move. You’re awake and your body doesn’t feel as tight. When you realize that your body is moving and that you’re getting that energy, you’re more motivated to want to take it to that next step. I always say the 5 mins rule. Sometimes, you just need to get to the gym. You show up, you get to that treadmill for 5 mins and you can leave. It’s all about creating a habit or a routine.

Another thing that I like to do for someone who is just getting started is a calendar program. Look at your calendar for the week and the meetings that you have to go to – those things that you cannot move and schedule 20 mins in between whether that’s in the morning, your lunchbreak, or right after work. Because when you build it into your schedule, it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

AM: Makes sense as you literally see it in your calendar and you feel horrible clicking it off of Google calendar.

JW: That’s exactly right – it’s accountability!

The other thing that I love is just to find something that you enjoy! You know, some people feel that fitness has to be in the gym and lifting weights, I do it and I live for it. But not every person wants to do that. Maybe it’s that weekly dance class – it’s that one commitment that doesn’t feel overwhelming and that it’s social.

AM: How do you approach those that do have a specific goal that they’re looking to achieve in their workouts? Maybe it’s a wedding, an anniversary, reunions, etc? They’re looking at a set time and a set place where that goal is able to actualized.

JW: So that’s when I get a little more intense. If someone has a very specific goal, we talk about what that is, we look at the timeframe, and we break it down to what will truly heed results in that length of time. I am talking about a meal plan and a workout plan. Everybody is different. It also depends on the timeframe that we have.

AM: How important is the nutrition and recovery plan. What are all the things that people should be thinking about when it comes to a workout session on a given day and over time?

JW: Wellness. Truly and when I say wellness, I mean mind, body, spirit, and soul – all of that. I think that the goal for me with any of my clients is to create a program that is sustainable and enjoyable because if it doesn’t have those aspects, it won’t continue. I never want to feel like I am having to overhaul someone’s life. That’s not fun. It’s picking small goals that heed big change. Little things like the way that you eat your meals makes such a difference. People don’t realize that you start with your veggies – it creates a block so that you don’t get that glucose spike and it prevents having those crashes in the afternoon. Then you move to your fats and your proteins and you finish with your complex cards. It’s little tips and tricks that make a huge difference. All of a sudden, you’re not eating as many of those snacks or craving those foods because you are satiating your body in other ways.

AM: How can we make sure that you’re establishing achievable goals as you’ve been talking about? Because I also have those friends who feel they have a goal and a plan, but in life, what they’re going for would not be able to happen whether the goal is off or the time allowed doesn’t make sense.

JW: Exactly, this is my philosophy. Anything that seems too good to be true, it probably is. And anything that comes so easy, goes easy. I truly believe that. A healthy amount is a pound a week and that’s an aggressive weight loss plan. If you are doing that, you are doing incredible. Anything over that, you’re kind of traumatizing the body to some degree and I hate to say that and to use those words.

AM: Well, it’s shocking the body.

JW: When people are leaning into taking things or doing things where this aggressive weight loss is happening, you can be losing muscle mass, you’re stressing your hunger, and how are you supplementing that to then create longevity?

I’m not just promoting myself so even if it’s not you working with me, maybe you are doing Pilates – you’re allowing your body to be supported and to create a strength for itself during that process. When you do go off of it, you’re still in a healthy mindset that will still support your mind and body.

AM: For those that may not be able to work with your 1:1. Tell us about Don’t Sweat It Alone! I love that everything in your world is so bright and approachable as there are a number of methods or trainers that sometimes have a very different look to their site and their approach and for some people that can be a bit too much for them.

JW: Yesss! Thank you for saying that and I really do appreciate that!

Just going back for a moment on what we were talking about before, if you’re just starting out – you may want to consider breaking up your workout. For some people that only have 20mins like a lot of my clients are working moms. That’s a busy job and 20mins is better than no minutes. If you’re waiting to have that block of an hour, you may tell yourself you don’t have it today, but you will do it tomorrow, and then it just keeps happening and ultimately, you never worked out. Give yourself some grace and set that timer for 20mins, that’s time you put in for yourself, you nourished your body and gave it what it needed.

AM: I agree even for myself, I prefer to workout at 8am and be done by 9am, but then I may have a day of meetings, editor appointments, interviews, creative, etc – I know I will catch up with it again later in the day, and won’t let the day go on without it. But it can be tough as sometimes things start moving.

JW: I love that! That’s how I operate it and not everyday will go the way you want it to. Sometimes schedules are crazy and that is ok!

AM: You do the best you can, my newest component has been meditation as I have found that just as necessary as working out my body. I am not someone who likes to sit for a second in silence, but when I am in the meditation groove that follows after my workout, I can do it.

JW: You’re inspiring me – like meditation and affirmations is part of every morning of mine, but I would say that meditation is the one that I struggle with the most. So you're inspiring me right now so we're always a work in progress.

AM: You have to find what works for you. I use Hyperice’s Core App and the fact that they break down the sessions to whether you’re feeling anxious, whether you want to be moved by music, or to have guided meditations, I have the group of instructors that I enjoy listening to and if I’m pushed for time I can find the one that is where I am at mentally within the time frame that I have to give.

JW: Do you ever do the nose breathing thing?

AM: Yes! I love Breathwrk App!

JW: Oh my gosh! It’s so good and if I’m having a crazy day, there are some days that you’re just not here! If I do that one technique, it’s like, “hey, I’m back!”

My Don’t Sweat It Alone, what’s really beautiful is that the only blessing in COVID that I experienced is that it gave me the ability to reach anyone all over the world. So what I do is that you don’t sweat it alone. I offer online programming, personalized month-to-month plans, and meal plans to anyone in the world. I’m also certified as a life coach as well through Jay Shetty, do you know him?

AM: Yeah!

JW: So, that’s a buddy of mine. I also do live check-ins as well. So you can be anywhere in the world and still have access to me. I call it the Power Hour and a member can sign on during that time and we set goals for the week, we talk about SHREDS – how’s your Sleep, how’s your Hunger, your Rest, your Energy, and your Digestion? We go over everything and go live every Monday and Friday with my HIIT workouts.

AM: I like that SHREDS thing and I’m all about gut health.

JW: It’s so important!

AM: During the pandemic, I also took time to really focus on my sleep and to change some things in that area as well. I feel it’s way more optimized then it was before. I still have moments that aren’t great, but it’s so much better than what it was before.

JW: I love that!

AM: Are there any retreats that you have coming up?

JW: Yes!!! Oh my gosh! Thank you for asking me! I’m a work horse.

AM: Same!

JW: Girl, of course you are! Look at what you’re doing. Teach me your ways!

I did my first retreat and because I’m a work horse, I had such a hard time stepping away truly. So I thought how could I step into my work while also exploring the world to do what I love? I got an opportunity last year to partner with a friend of mine and we did a wellness retreat in Bali. We called it Balanced to Bali and it was amazing! It was 6 nights/7 days, there were workouts every single day, yoga, meditation, it was so incredible and then I traveled before and after. It was such a hit, so euphoric, and so beautiful. I just announced Elevated in El Salvador 5 nights/6 days in El Salvador Dec 22nd – Dec 27th. It’s on the black sands of El Zonte. I am so excited. I have always wanted to explore Central America and to get down there that way. I can’t wait. I have been looking for a place and there is a beautiful and quaint resort right there on the ocean there will be yoga every single day and sound baths!

AM: The retreat seems amazing!

Obviously this can be different for everyone, but what are power and energy foods that when we’re running around and don’t want to snack idly and we want to put nutrients in our bodies intentionally – what are things that you suggest that we should have?

JW: Oh, I love this! Anything that supports the system more than process foods. I know that that is a very vague answer. But I can share some of my personal favorites – roasted chickpeas.

AM: We're such a fan of them!

JW: I love them – they’re just natural from the Earth, it’s a true whole food ingredient – it has the good fats, some carbs, great fiber – talk about what’s great for our digestive system! So, many great things, in one food! Another one that I enjoy and not everyone eats beef but grass fed beef sticks is absolutely amazing. Hard Boiled Eggs! It’s one of the best snacks that you can have! Protein bars are great and they are a great alternative to a protein bar, but I always say, look at the ingredients in those protein bars because a lot of time there is a lot of fillers and processors in those bars that we don’t even realize. Raw trail mix – I geek out. Some people geek out on wine tastings and don’t get me wrong, I love that! But I geek out on creating my own trail mix!

AM: Oh that’s so smart! Because then you know exactly what’s in it.

JW: Almonds are great or even pistachios.

AM: I’m ok with pistachios. I’ve also been someone who loves customizing and personalizing a number of things from clothes, office supplies etc, and a number of my foods – never thought to extend it to trail mix!

JW: Oh my gosh put a little goji berry in there and a little dark chocolate!

AM: Love both of those too!

JW: You have to live a little bit here right? We don’t want anyone miserable – it’s about healthy choices 80% of the time!

AM: You also have resistance bands! I love and I think it’s so great. I always have a set in my luggage so no matter which bag I take with me, I have them with me when I’m traveling. Do you foresee expanding your brand into a workout line or more devices and gear?

JW: Girl, that’s the dream and we’re living in it. Yes, 100%. I have had some merch in the past. I have had requests to bring it back and I was so excited to bring these pink bands out with my slogan, Get Sweaty. I just like it because to be honest, I’m so inappropriate and I’m ok with who I am. Get Sweaty just means so many things and that’s why I love it so much! The dream is to come out with more products and I definitely have aspirations when it comes to that. Nothing that is locked in that I can share.

AM: I can so see it and how the brand lends itself to being able to hammock so many things.

Are there any projects that you’re able to share that you would like for our readers to know?

JW: Anyone who is looking for any kind of fit tips or workouts, I share those. I have more videos launching with PopSugar which I am very excited about, Fabletics is a great partnership of mine.

IG @msjennawillis

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | JENNA WILLIS

Read the APR ISSUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see PUSHING NEW LIMITS | Jenna Willis in mag.

FINDING MAGIC AND FREEDOM | BROOKE BURKE

When we first met actress, host, fitness/wellness entrepreneur, and author Brooke Burke, it was back in our collegiate days as we watched her take us to an array of locale's on E!'s Wild On! From there, she continued to stay on our screens whether it was Dancing with the Stars, hosting Miss America pageants, seeing her on copious Skechers commercials and always adding that element of fitness and lifestyle to everything she touches!

We wanted to find out about how Brooke got into the industry, how she created her opportunities that began to structure what the Brooke Burke brands means, current projects she's involved in, the importance of fitness and wellness, her upcoming wedding, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Hello! How are you!

BROOKE BURKE: I’m home in Malibu and it’s my day off and I’m so excited to be able to talk to you!

AM: Of course! Well before we talk about your phenomenal career, did you think that it would always involve being a model, being a TV host, acting, being in fitness, and an author?

BB: You know, to be honest, I studied Broadcast Journalism in Business Advertising and I always thought that I would be a business woman. I accidently got into the business, but I always had a love affair with fitness and wellness. I didn’t grow up with that sort of guidance, I think that I took a big pivot after high school mostly because of the industry. Then I had an opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant wellness instructors and to make a business out of it 10 years ago because I wanted to show people how to live longer and stronger and to take better care of themselves as well as to be able to do it all over the world – whether you’re traveling, a busy mom, or you don’t have time, and even if you don’t like fitness! Just find a way to be able to get it done without excuses and to create energy – it’s so much more than a fitness app. I mean Brooke Bourke Body started as a fitness app, but now it is an intentional wellness space, it’s about community, and energy, and mindset – it just feels really good – I love this space, maybe more than I love the entertainment business?

AM: Well, when I first became aware of who you were, I was in college and I was a fan of E!’s Wild On!

BB: Oh those were the days!

AM: Oh yeah! I remember looking at it and I thought, I don’t think at that time, that there was anything even like that in terms of format, blending travel, food, culture, and nightlife.

BB: Oh my gosh! See, I will always be that travel girl to some people! It really was the greatest time of my life – that was reality TV before reality TV!

AM: Exactly!

BB: I mean, it was so guerilla, it was like me and a young crew! We all had a zest for life. We just went around the world, traveled like locals, had the best time, and did things that you could never do today!

AM: Yup!

BB: It was really an amazing gig and I have done some pretty cool things in my career, but that one, I’d love to be able to reboot that show and I’d like to get back out there on the road!

AM: Yes!

BB: Yes and I want to do it again! I meet people like you all over the world that are like, “I took that vacation because I saw you do it. I explored the world through your eyes.” And that, that feels so good and I feel that that connected me to so many different cultures, different types of people, and my mom – from my mom to my daughter, who doesn’t love to explore the world? It’s the greatest education that I have ever had!

AM: What drew you, because clearly before the show started, you didn’t realize that it would have all of these elements to it. What drew you to that to be part of that experience?

BB: To be honest with you, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Nor would I have probably signed up to jump off of planes and to sign rockets or to swim with sharks or whatnot! I have always had an adventurous appetite or an adrenaline junkie if you will! But I also was so naïve and growing up in Tucson, Arizona to grow up and have the privilege to just see the world. I just believed in taking chances and I was never a young girl and hopefully I’m raising my children the same way, I wasn’t going to leave here wondering what if! I had no idea what to expect and it was crazy, absolutely bananas! I would do it again and again and again! It was an adventure and I made friends around the world. I would tell everyone that to travel is to live! Take that adventure and just expand and open your mind!

AM: What do you love about hosting? You have hosted shows from so many different types of verticals whether it was Rock Star, She’s Got the Look, Dancing with the Stars, or Miss America? What do you love about being that central force in those particular shows as a host?

BB: I think that I have always done scary things! But I also love live energy, I love people, I love connection, I love the energy of a live audience! I’ve learned now as a more seasoned host, I like when things go wrong, I like when things go right, I like spontaneity, I like uncertainty, there’s just something about being in front of a live audience that just ignites me and I think that that’s why I work in the wellness space, I teach classes with live audiences even in health and wellness, to guide, to teach, to connect, to connect the dots, to connect people. I get so much out of it and it’s really different in front of a live audience!

It's been a minute, but joining the Fool Us cast last season, I forgot how much fun it was to be on a stage! Las Vegas, live, and magic! There aren’t a lot of live shows anymore so I just forgot how much I love it because I’ve been in health and wellness as a space so passionately; more so, than in television. So I feel like I get the best of both worlds.

AM: Last month in our issue of Athleisure Mag, we interviewed Penn + Teller about a number of things, but also about Fool Us as well! What did you love about – in addition to it being live and interacting with people as you said, what drew you to be on this show?

BB: Oh, I love magic and genuinely! I feel like it’s a time where it’s a family show for a family viewing! It’s an opportunity where we need a little hope, we need a little uncertainty, it’s escapism. They’re incredible and iconic, it’s such an honor and a pleasure to share the stage with them! I feel like this was a show that was celebrating talent! Whether the magicians got the Fools trophy or not, they were also thrilled to be there and to have the opportunity to be part of something! I’m somebody, my daughter was on production with me, she was so frustrated because she wanted to know how every trick was being done – but a magician will never tell! I on the other hand didn’t want to know because it’s so much fun to wonder and to be surprised, or to cry and laugh!

AM: Before you were hosting DWTS, you won S7 with Derek Hough! What was it like being a competitor on that season and then also, how difficult was it to learn so many different dances from week to week?

BB: It was the hardest thing that I have ever done in my entire life including being a mother to 4 children! It was terrifying to be honest. I love music, I love rhythm, I love dance. I didn’t grow up a dancer. I think putting yourself out there and learning something new is awesome for your entire inner network, but it is also terrifying, unfamiliar, uncomfortable, then you’re being judged for it, then you’re performing live – like live live – not live to tape! At the time, it was 15M – 20M viewers! It was bananas and it was the hardest thing that I have ever done. It was also filled with so many life lessons about how to perform under pressure, about how not to overthink things, how to have faith in my body - there are actually a lot of lessons that I bring into my transformational work and retreats. How to trust your body, how to just let go and to know that what you have done is good enough and how to just show up and you know overthinking can be such a demon and it can be a bully until we learn how to quiet it down and that voice inside is really fear based!

But It’s just all fear. So learning how to quiet down all of that noise was the greatest life lesson! And then an amazing opportunity to let America see me not as a host, but a person, human, and out of my comfort zone. All of that stuff and it’s so important! We rarely get to do that in my business and you know, especially in live television, there’s just not a lot of time to play. It was just an awesome opportunity and I think that that gave me the opportunity to do so many other things. It was fun and it was such a great show!

AM: You’re focus on fitness and this whole wellness industry – we always like to ask our faves about the workouts that they do that we can incorporate into our routines to shake things up especially since we are heading into the Spring/Summer.

So what are 3 workouts that we could do for toned arms, legs, or abs?

BB: Good question! There are so many things that we could do at home and I’m a big believer in working out – sweating in a smart way because of time, life, ability, age, hormones – you name it! The reason why I started Brooke Burke Body is to teach people how to get it in whatever limited time that you have! I have a lot of target toning opportunities and of course specific opportunities that are really designed for all of the areas that women are complaining about – compound moves which means that we spend less time. I have a 4 Week Ab Attack, a 4 Week Booty Challenge, I’ve got 30 Mins or Less Body Weight Workouts where you don’t even need equipment! I also have Zoom classes every Fri. So wherever you are whether it’s a hotel, you’re busy and don’t have time to get to a class, you can’t afford that class! People from all over the world Zoom in and it’s really fun! Then we develop a community that’s real and it holds you accountable.

I would say get an app, get on YouTube, find free content, join my app that is free for the first week! It’s just find something that keeps you interested! We’ve got about a 3 month attention span and then most people either fall off because they are looking for a quick fix and they are bored. But for me, it’s about developing a sustainable lifestyle that is about energy and mobility. It’s about living longer, stronger and it’s just about a booty or a bikini body. We don’t even use those kinds of words anymore right? It’s all about building strength and we have a strong community and a strong commitment. It’s about building strength, functional fitness, intentional wellness, and protecting our body so that we can do all of the things that we want to do without injury.

I have great trainers also, it’s not just me and I celebrate them as I love variety! So there is a little bit of everything on there!

AM: That’s exciting!

BB: I really do love it and it’s so fun! And mostly, it’s because of the community which is what is really good about it!

AM: It’s also good for accountability!

BB: Of course! Fitness shouldn’t be isolated when it's 11:30 and your friend is asking where you are, sometimes you need a little love, you need a little nudge, we need to increase our self-care, we need a little love! Body confidence is key! We are in a very interesting time where it’s an amazing time to be a woman, I think! I’m raising 4 daughters, Scott has 2 children – I have 4. It’s about inner dialogue, it’s about body confidence, and really it’s about strength and coordination, and lowering our stress levels. You know, we’re hearing all of these things now and there’s so much science behind the value of lowering our stress levels. How are we going to do that? Better learn how to create adrenaline and dopamine and oxytocin – like when I’m stressed out, I workout. I can sweat myself into a new space in a moment right?

AM: Oh exactly!

BB: Of course and I hope you try it out and would love to have you – no pressure in our Zoom classes. I don’t know if that’s your thing?

AM: It’s nice to be able to learn something and just to see how it sits with you.

BB: You’re bringing up a really good point! The best piece of advice that I have been given and have realized as someone who is an advocate for women’s health, we have to be a detective of our own bodies. What works for me, may not work for you. That’s why I have different people and even in my retreats I say that if it’s not me that they are responding to try to find somebody else that you do respond to and find your community!

AM: Tell me more about your health and wellness retreats because it seems like you have quite a few coming up!

BB: I do! I love the work that I do! By the time this issue has dropped, I would have just finished Carefree Arizona at the CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa, but I am doing another one there in the fall. I’ll do a couple of wellness events here in Malibu at the property at my home. That’s called Soul Creek Wellness, We’ve got Costa Rica a yoga retreat in 2025 and the nice thing about being organized about them is that you can fundshare, you can do a payment plan, and to find a way to afford these plans if they are meaningful to you. I get so much out of doing this work. I get more than I give. I connect with like minded women and men – they are invited as well. Beyond the workout, we are transforming our mind, we are doing deep work, meditation, journaling, rhythm, movement, energy - it’s really been a beautiful ride for me. I’ve had an incredible company called Yogando it means yoga in Italian. She’s my partner and she does retreats all over the world! We have a really great thing going and we brings the spirit, the soul, the energy, the experts, it’s been amazing! I really love this work!

What we put into our body is as important as how we train our body. How we speak to our body is as equally as important. So that’s why we have shifted from BB Body, to BB Body + Soul, and now it’s about energy and intentional wellness because they are all connected! Meditation, lowers your stress levels, it gives you clarity, the more you workout, the more you want to do. When you have a community, you're connected, and you're accountable! So all of those things for me as a woman is essential for wellness and I think that it goes beyond fitness and being a great patient, getting that physical, being mindful of your nutrition and whatever that means! Being part of a community, supporting one another. We did a deep dive into the Blue Zones in Costa Rica, we were out there and we will do it again in 2025.

I’m really excited about teaching people on how they can create their own Blue Zone wherever they are meaning you can do it at home. You can find your tribe, your community, you can fuel your body – mine is different then yours. I intermittent fast which is great for my body for recovery and for repair!

I’m a big believer in that! But I also eat and I eat for fuel, I eat for energy, I eat mostly plant-based, but I do also eat meat. I drink a tremendous amount of water! I try to keep it as natural, colorful, and as fresh as possible! I fill my body with fresh, bright, and colorful vegetables. I eat lean meats, great sauces, spice, things with flavor and really good fats. I believe in fuel, I believe in energy. Back to what I said before, being a detective of your own body and understanding what makes you tired, what makes you bloated, what makes you retain water, what makes your joints hurt, what makes you sleepy? We really have to learn and then of course, we have to correct. I’m always testing different things and I’m a bit of a biohacking geek as well. So I really increasing our NAD production, and doing things that really help to manipulate the system! I mean, I’m 52, so let’s go!

AM: I completely agree and sometimes I'm realizing that we may be in different like cycles as we navigate a month. So if I’m more stressed in those times of the month due to closing the issues or other things going on, I may not be able to eat the same types of things I could when I am in more of a normal situation.

BB: I think that it’s great that you tune into that. I think that the older that we get, we have an ability to know when we have to turn it up or to turn it down. And it’s about really learning how to listen to our body! I have a mindful carousel that is in the app that is just for meditation. Stretch and Recovery, Morning Mobility – you have to listen to your body and to create that energy! It might mean having to take a day off. There’s a lot of bootcamps out there and kick your ass programs, and a lot of quick fix diets where you will starve yourself – but then you put it all back on! I just don’t engage in that. For me, I want a healthy lifestyle that is sustainable and works for me so that is doable.

AM: And flexible like you said! What I can do Tues, I may not be able to do it on Wed for whatever that reason is!

BB: And that’s ok! I think that we have earned a little bit of grace! Tough love my friend!

AM: You are in the middle of preparing to get married! So congratulations!

BB: Thank you!

AM: How is it to navigate the planning process of that while also juggling all these other things that you are obviously already doing!

BB: Well, it's slow in planning – just starting with that honesty! We have 4 daughters that are excited about this wedding so we can’t phone it in! I want it to be spectacular, I want it to be about hope, I want people to be able to believe in the next chapter! I want people to believe that they can redesign their life and that they can love again! Even if it looks different, it feels different, it sounds different! I thought that I would never get married again and then I happened to meet the most wonderful man! I would probably say that I would never want to get married again, but I want to get married to him.

When you least expect it, love comes along. I was just able to receive it! We’re planning it, we’re all consumed with building our new home! We’re blending our families, work, and our life. So it’s coming up, but it’s not coming up quick enough!

AM: What are you the most excited about in terms of your wedding day?

BB: I think that celebrating love – knowing that his family is on board and we’re willing to raise each other and to do it with integrity and acceptance. It makes me a really proud mom and woman. Watching our children grow without any resistance in love which is very key and very challenging because I have been on both sides of that. Nobody ever thinks that they’re going to do it again, nobody ever thinks that they’re going to do it wrong, so to find a love like I have with Scott that has flow, it’s just a really nice flow – I feel really lucky, safe, and blessed and it’s sexy. It’s meaningful.

AM: How do you take time for yourself when you want to give those moments to yourself for peace and zen?

BB: Most of my me time sounds like a contrast because it’s shared with people. My wellness space and my yoga is kind of my temple. Yoga for me is not a workout or a practice, it is a total necessity. So I teach and I walk the talk. I meditate everyday, I get up early, I try to rise with the sun. This is a new thing for me. I am retraining my brand. I sleep when I’m sleepy that’s also a new thing for me. I’m really listening to my body and so my me time is maybe those extra 10 mins in the morning, it’s my Savasa yoga and I will carve out 10 mins for that. It’s time for me to quiet down so that I can actually hear my soul and my spirit. I spend a lot of time with sound baths and I get a lot out of that. I really do believe in sound frequency. I am in this space, so I have a lot of access to it and I create a lot of different offerings and it has changed my life. We’re hearing a lot more about it and I feel that when we hear the word mindfulness, people think that it’s all woo woo. I live in Malibu so you can only imagine. Just simply learning about doing nothing sometimes and learning how to slow down and how to listen to your body on most days, that is the gamechanger for me! I can teach people how to get into bikini shape all year long and that would be easy and boring. But what I hope I’m teaching is inspiring people to slow down and listen. We’re in a grind culture. You’re grinding and I’m grinding. Grind Culture – we need to navigate that. Meditation for me has been a big game changer.

It’s hard. I tell people that they have to meet meet themselves with a little bit of compassion and surrender. Meditation is different for everyone. I don’t feel like I need to sit down and just breathe, sometimes it’s a walking meditation, or a guided meditation, or a journey through music. I’m also a Breathwork Facilitator so I do a lot of different things to just slow down and to check in! Let’s just call it that! People put such high expectations on this concept to meditate. Just take a moment! Your meditation might look different than someone else’s and it’s good enough.

AM: That’s where I had to find out for myself and to be ok with a bit of trial and error, but if I can figure out the perfect shoe for my foot, I need to be able to find the perfect meditation that works for me!

BB: That’s right! Oh my God, I love that analogy! Just making it up on your own. 100%, we spend more time doing so many other things as opposed to checking in!

AM: So what do you want the Brooke Burke Legacy to be as you look back at all of the amazing things that you have contributed to the world?

BB: That’s such a hard question! Today is my son’s birthday, so today I am all gooey and emotional because he’s my baby and he’s 16 and he has 3 older sisters that worship this kid. He’s a football player and I have just watched him grind and grind so hard and he is everything that I respect and I am so lucky to be able to say that. So I guess, I feel like I'm just getting warmed up in my passion projects because I’m in my 50s and you’d think that I’d be winding down.

I feel so lucky to be doing something purposeful and I guess on a deeper space and I am so tapped into it today, I just want my children to know and they were raised in it that they are in a safe and loving space where they had freedom. Freedom for me is my thing. It's freedom to start over, it’s freedom to fuck up. It’s a loaded concept for me and I think that as women, we’re in this space as well. It’s freedom to be able to do whatever you want to do or not at all.

AM: Right and it’s a freedom to know that even if you mess it up, it’s ok.

BB: Totally! My daughter is taking a mandatory day off today, because I made her do it. I was like, you’re 16 years old, you’re going to take the time to do what 16 year olds do. I’m listening and learning!

IG @brookeburke

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Body By Brooke Burke

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see FINDING MAGIC AND FREEDOM | Brooke Burke in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | JETSET PILATES

JETSET Pilates was founded by Tamara Galinsky in 2010 in Miami Beach and has grown to become an internationally recognized brand with a growing, loyal community devoted to the unique 50-minute modern Pilates workout that challenges body and mind.

This studio has 8 locations throughout South Florida - Coral Gables, Downtown Miami, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Brickell, South of Fifth neighborhood in Miami, Edgewater, and Sunset Harbour. There our 20 in-development studios include NYC (multiple locations), Tampa FL (multiple locations), North Miami, West Palm Beach FL, Orlando FL, and Melbourne Australia, to name a few!

JETSET's custom-made reformer is designed to elevate the pilates experiences. With a unique configuration of seven springs, each varying in weight, this reformer offers unparalleled versatility in resistance exercises. When working at the front, the springs seamlessly assist movements, providing support tailored to individual’s needs. Conversely, shifting to the back intensifies the challenge as the springs add resistance, ensuring a well-rounded and dynamic workout. The reformer's platforms and carriage are equipped with strategically placed leverage straps and pockets, enhancing stability and control throughout the session.

Their private sessions offer an exclusive 50-minute class, delivering a signature total body workout with the added benefit of personalized attention. With a dedicated instructor at your side, the session is entirely tailored to fit clients' unique needs and body, ensuringa workout that aligns seamlessly with goals. Private sessions are offered either in private pilates rooms as a single or duet (two clients) in select studios or in the main studio space.

JETSET's Arms and Abs class is a 50-minute session that zeroes in on sculpting the upper body, center core, and obliques. They're also rolling out more specialty classes such as Fundamentals and lower-body focused.

Pre/post-workout, they have cold water in eco-conscious packaging and pre/post-workout drinks such as Amino Lean. Some studios feature a selection of local juices available for purchase. You can also purchase JETSET Pilates apparel and accessories as well.

JETSET PILATES

110 Washington Ave

Miami Beach, FL 33137

For your nearest location or studios that are opening in your area, visit their website.

jetsetpilates.com

IG @jetsetpilates

PHOTOGRAPHY | JETSET Pilates

Read the FEB ISSUE #98 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | JETSET Pilates in mag.

9DRIP | SEBASTIEN LAGREE

Read the DEC ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see 9DRIP | Sebastien Lagree in mag.

9LIST STORI3S | SEBASTIEN LAGREE

Read the NOV ISSUE #95 of Athleisure Mag and see 9LIST STORI3S | Sebastien Lagree in mag.

FORCES OF NATURE | LAIRD HAMILTON & GABRIELLE REECE

We're excited for this month's cover as we have a powerhouse couple that is known for dominanting the beach and the water! We have Beach Volleyball great, Gabby Reece. We always enjoyed seeing her on a number of her Nike commercials, gracing the covers of Elle, and being in a number of shows appearing as herself. As someone who modeled, performed during her matches, is a TV personality, fitness/wellness expert and continues that passion of wellness with her podcasts, projects and is the Co-Founder with her husband Laird Hamilton with their brands that include Laird Superfood, Laird Apparel, and XPT (Extreme Performance Training).

Laird Hamilton is the ultimate waterman, pioneer in action sports (he is known for crossover board sports including being the co-inventor of tow-in-surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and hydrofoil boarding) and big wave surfing legend! He is an inventor, author, stunt man (he performed the stunts in James Bond's Die Another Day in the opening sequence), model, producer, TV host, fitness and nutrition expert, and adrenaline junkie. His passion for wellness and nutrition, led him to him Co-Founding Laird Superfood.

Last fall, we talked with Gabby Reece and we knew then that we'd love to have her and Laird together to find out more about them, their businesses, their assortment, how they navigate their coupleship in business and their partnership.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It is so great to be able to chat with you guys! We had the pleasure of chatting with Gabby last fall and we were talking about power couples, so it’s great to have you both! As she knows, Athleisure Mag’s Co-Founders are also a couple so it’s good vibes all around.

GABBY REECE: Hello!

LAIRD HAMILTON: Well yeah, you know, mixing work and pleasure is always dangerous!

AM: It is always dangerous; it can definitely be tricky cocktail.

LH: It can be or it can be all natural!

AM: Well there are moments on each side depending on the moments we're caught in!

It’s exciting to be able to talk about Laird Superfood and the businesses that you both have together. I know that readers will be so excited as well. The last time I chatted with Gabby, we talked about her background and career. So to catch our readers up, when did you fall in love with surfing and what do you love about being an iconic waterman as you’re so talented?

LH: Well, I think that my relationship with the ocean and water happened very early. My mom had stories of me crawling towards water before I could walk. So I think that I was just drawn to water and I think that that’s pretty natural because we are water. So my kind of relationship with water started before I could remember and then my surfing, I think that I had my own board – I mean usually I had pieces of boards because in those days, there were no boards for kids. There were no boogie boards or anything like that. Usually, you got a piece of a broken board from an adult and then you made that your board! So, I always just thought in terms of swimming and surfing, that was what you did and that that was what everybody does. So if someone said, “I don’t swim,” when I was younger, I felt like saying that you don’t swim was like saying that you don’t walk.

AM: Right!

LH: Yeah, it’s like, “is there something wrong?” But yeah, it’s in my foundation.

AM: That’s amazing and what was the moment when you realized that you both wanted to launch these businesses together? How did it take place and how did you decide on who would do what?

GR: Well, in the case of Laird Superfood, well most of our businesses actually, were almost accidents. Laird Superfood was not on purpose. It was based on a drink that Laird was making in our kitchen and shared with his friends before they would train and go out in the water.

One of these friends would ask what’s in it and how much it was. One of our other friends who is the other Co-Founder, is a serial entrepreneur and he thought that if Laird benefits from it and he was feeling this, maybe we can create this for other people and so Laird Superfood was created in 2015 around the premise of Laird originally sharing something that was working for him.

LH: Yeah, and I think that our desire to have businesses had stemmed before that. I think that just being athletes and then I would kind of say, supporting other businesses as you evolve, I think that it is only natural that you would want to go into as I describe – being your own sponsor.

AM: Oh yeah!

LH: So once you build your brand to a certain level, it was like, “ok, we’ll go into business,” but like the businesses themselves came organically like Gabby said. It either came through a habit we had or some other practice that we were doing and that seemed the easiest given the authenticity. So, it was real authentic and it was not something that seemed like we were making something that was a departure from our philosophy and our beliefs which I think is really important because then everything becomes a lot easier because you’re not trying to learn how you’re going to support the business. You’re already naturally doing it.

GR: Our roles were almost an extension of how our everyday lives go. I think that we naturally have different strengths and things that we lean into and those showed up as well in the business. So on the business side, Laird is one of the gatekeepers and he is the creative and always curious and messing around with concoctions if you will.

LH: It’s like we built a house together and that can either get people to be in a deeper relationship or not be in one after depending on people’s roles. I think that it’s similar in that the businesses are similar to building a house. I’m all about the structure of it, how strong is it, where’s the drainage and Gabby’s into the aesthetics like in the situation of Laird Superfood, I’m about the function of the products. Gabby is about the flavor and the taste of it. She makes the house look pretty and taste good, it’s wonderful. I’m like, “ok, does it support me, does it do the thing and how does it all work?” Then there’s also some overlap, but that’s kind of the basis of our teamwork.

AM: Well I’m a huge fan of the Hydrate + Electrolyte Coconut Water packets and the Prebiotic Daily Greens. Those are my 2 favorites. I’m not a coffee drinker. How do you guys decide on the types of products that will be in the Laird Superfood assortment?

GR: Well, a lot of this was an extension. First of all, it’s always a commitment to the ingredients. So whatever it’s going to be – it’s going to focus on can we make this with a value, make it taste great, and still follow our guidelines for real ingredients. With something in the case of the Hydrate On the Go, and the greens they are good as there's a lot of gaps in people’s nutrition. We are huge advocates of being able to get everything from your food, that’s what we want from you. It’s pretty hard to do with the quality of our soil and hence, that’s the greens. Hydration is – a lot of times, things that are on the market are really loaded with sugars and things like that. So we thought, “ok, people are really looking for high quality hydration without a ton of added sugar. That made a lot of sense and that really stems from Laird’s deep relationship with drinking coconuts himself! He'd come in from surfing and literally cut a coconut down in Kawaii and hence, the freeze-dried coconut at the source and adding some of the minerals.

LH: And also the philosophy that the ratios in nature are perfect. When you start trying to play with those, I think that you run into trouble, so like Gabby said, I think that we implement the kind of values such as adding in whole food ingredients or food-based ingredients. Your body is more used to those things and so it’s not like, “what’s this foreign object?” It doesn’t have to pull away from and take away from your own body’s health in order to deal with it. I think that that’s one of the places in looking at areas where people are lacking in their diet. We’re looking at the convenience of it, how easy is it – you just put it in there and you drink it. We’re looking for areas in people’s lives where we can best benefit them so we look at their daily rituals. That’s the philosophy of the brand. It’s a daily ritual and you know that you’re going to have to hydrate, you know that you’re gonna at some point need some snacks. We’re going to make bars. I’m not a huge snacker myself, but people are gonna snack, so can we supply them with good things on a daily basis? Again, one of the values is if you’re doing something everyday, that you really wanna try to make that a good habit.

AM: Right.

LH: Because it’s a culmination over time. So a little bit of good over a long time is a lot of good! A little bit of bad over a long period of time is bad. I think that sometimes we think that it’s a little bit of bad so it’s not a problem because it’s a little bit, but then you’re like, “well yeah, a little bit all of the time can eventually accumulate.”

AM: It starts stacking.

LH: Yeah, there’s some stuff in there.

AM: As we’re in the fall and we’re looking towards the holiday, are there any products that are new that are going to be out?

GR: Well we have some incredible instant products –

LH: Ooo yes. So we make chai – we make Instant Chai, Instant Matcha –

GR: Pumpkin Spice –

LH: Pumpkin Spice will be the holiday –

GR: And then Peppermint Mocha.

LH: Peppermint Mocha, yes.

GR: We’ve got some grown men around here who swoon for that stuff, so the thing that I love about these products is that they’re seasonal and we want to honor that people really love these flavors and these traditions. Like it reminds them of the holidays, but we’re able to do it in a way that the ingredients are excellent and you don’t have to sacrifice that experience. So we have it in pumpkin, we have it in a lot of things.

LH: Multiple!

GR: We have it in instant products, a creamer, a bar, and our liquid creamer as well.

LH: We’re going hard after the pumpkin spice! I mean, it’s something that I really enjoy and I think that I may have eaten a few whole pumpkin pies during Thanksgiving over the years haha!

AM: What are your favorite foods that you like eating from your brand?

GR: Well for me personally, I’m not a matcha or a chai person, but our people who love matcha and chai – we have a high quality matcha and really great chai. But for me, I’m using obviously the coffees and creamers. I personally, go for the mocha, Laird is a turmeric guy.

“Because it’s a culmination over time. So a little bit of good over a long time is a lot of good! A little bit of bad over a long period of time is bad. I think that sometimes we think that it’s a little bit of bad so it’s not a problem because it’s a little bit, but then you’re like, “well yeah, a little bit all of the time can eventually accumulate.”

— Laird Hamilton

LH: Believe me, hers is not a coffee, it’s a hot chocolate that happens to have coffee in it, but you wouldn’t know it’s coffee in it.

GR: When we travel, we use our instant products. So, the instant latte, what’s great is that people who are now working in the office, all you have to do is add hot water. So, we have all of these incredible flavors and let’s say you’re on an airplane and you’re hungry, but you don’t want to eat that airplane food. It really curbs you.

LH: Yeah, the convenience of the powders, especially the instant products, makes it simple. You just get a cup of hot water. I’ll go into a lot of coffee shops where I know that I won’t be able to get a cup of really good coffee without just burying it in a bunch of sweeteners to cut how bad the coffee is. So, I’ll just get hot water and add that product to it. But the bars, the greens – Gabby is on the greens.

GR: I use the greens in the morning.

LH: All the time –

GR: I use the greens in the morning first thing. So, most of us are dehydrated in the morning because hopefully we have been sleeping for 8 hours. So, the way that I use the greens is that I put it in water first so that I can get that big glass of water which we need to do anyway. But because there’s no fillers in the greens and things like that and Laird mentioned the ingredients, your body does know what to do with it. I always feel like I’m on an empty stomach and I can just get everything in there.

LH: I like to use mine in a meal.

GR: Yeah, so, we’re opposite.

LH: Yeah, I like mine in a meal, because I’m already in digestive mode.

GR: Yeah.

LH: So, I’m going to digest and of course, the hydration products are always good after training, before training.

GR: That’s really important too for people to go to bed hydrated, especially women – hydrated. It’s hard on our hearts, literally to be dehydrated. The stress that it causes increases even more when we’re sleeping. It’s really important as a reminder in general however people want to be able to hydrate.

AM: Are there product categories that you don’t have now, but you are looking to add to the brand? Like if you had a wish me list?

LH: Well we’ve had, yeah, a list that we are considering like baked goods. It’s stuff that we have dabbled in before. So there are other areas that we are interested in. The truth is that we have a quite a few categories within what we have already to continue to develop. Because, you know, the greens, the bars, the creamers, the instant fuel products – there’s always another flavor too!

GR: And our coffees are excellent and also –

LH: Yeah!

GR: It’s been fortunate that that has been expanded so that we can add adaptogens and other nutrition into the coffee itself. So again, finding these little ways to sneak in the good stuff without compromising –

LH: We’re doing whole beans and ground. We’re already working on some samples for some instant coffees as well. We have the instant lattes, but we were also looking at the instant coffees as well just because of the convenience and I think that people really enjoy instant coffee because you get a faster absorption.

GR: Yeah. And we learned one thing from business for sure, which is to try to focus a little bit and to do a good job there. So, I would say that although we have all of these things that we really love, we’re also trying to offer and to educate our audience and to do a good job with what we have right now.

AM: We can imagine. Tell me about XPT. We were looking at it in prep for this interview and there are so many things that are around that and you have an event coming up – your retreat. Our readers would be interested in hearing about this as well.

GR: So XPT is -

LH: Sort of another one of those –

GR: It’s an extension of what we were naturally already doing with our friends at our house. A very close friend of ours that we work with said, “you know, we have to figure out how to condense this and you can share it with people over periods of days.” So, XPT was born and the pillars are Breathe, Move, and Recover. We would also put in there “To Connect.” That’s the thing, you can be perfect, and move everyday all day, but if you’re not connecting with other human beings, it’s a real no go to your health and sense of fulfillment. So XPT, we have incredible people that we work with and people come and see us for 2½ days. We do pool training, breathing, all mobility, and all of those things.

LH: Heat and ice!

GR: Yes, heat and the ice.

But now, they’ll be opening up XPT sort of recovery centers so that people wherever they live, they’ve been curious about seeing the heat and ice and some mobility.

AM: That sounds fantastic! How do you guys do all of this while being partners, married, and having children?

LH: We still don’t know if we’re going to survive! Right now, we’re just holding on.

GR: Like yesterday, we had a bumpy day yesterday –

LH: I had a bumpy day!

GR: You could just feel – I mean it’s we, it’s collective. You can feel that you have so much going on that maybe in Laird’s case, he’d rather and not be away from his family, but he’d rather be surfing or out in nature and not be running around on a freeway. For people like Laird, that takes a real toll on him. So it’s just – you know what it is about any relationship? How does each person get to satisfy their own sort of mission and calling and then how do you bring that together? But also how do you go about putting your children first and simultaneously still have that conversation about what you need. It’s just a dance.

“Yeah. And we learned one thing from business for sure, which is to try to focus a little bit and to do a good job there. So, I would say that although we have all of these things that we really love, we’re also trying to offer and to educate our audience and to do a good job with what we have right now.”

— Gabby Reece

LH: Well, I think that, listen, we both have a certain work capacity so we have a certain volume of work that we’re capable of doing. When you take care of yourself, you eat well, and you train hard and you have good community and relationships and get along, you expand your capacity. So now, you can even handle more volume and then if you’re cutting out a lot of stuff that is unnecessary and you’re not putting in a lot of time –

GR: We say no. We say no a lot.

LH: Then if it’s not important to you, then you’re not concerning yourself with these things that would take up the volume. I think that that allows you to go in and to be more productive.

GR: Yeah.

LH: And then a lot of it is the quality of the the work too. I mean you could just take any one of these situations and put all of your focus in on it, but more isn’t always better right?

AM: Absolutely.

LH: It’s like having that high quality impact and then shifting to the next thing. I think that both Gabby and I by the nature of our careers have had to be very versatile and do a plethora of different things in order to survive. Then it almost becomes how you are. You know, you’re interests are such that you need that stimuli to keep you going and so in a way, for me, we wouldn’t be – we couldn’t not be doing it like this. This just seems natural and from the outside, you might be saying, “how do you do all of that stuff?” But you know, again it has to do with the fact that we have worked our way towards this. Gabby will say about our children, “that they’re such troopers and it’s amazing!” I go, “yeah, but it’s like we trooped them.” We took them and included them in the way that we have navigated our schedules and we’re the same way. We’ve been doing all of this stuff, flying around, we’ve been dealing with all of these things.

GR: We used to step on each other’s toes occasionally. And you’re always learning.

LH: Always.

GR: There are phases and chapters. So being adaptable and I also know that this is cliché, but it's about the best that you can in occasionally being able to get that distance so that you can appreciate either your life, or the problems that you’re solving, but also your partner and the fact that like on the days that it’s crazy, you go, “and everybody’s healthy!”

AM: Exactly!

GR: It’s just trying to constantly recalibrate and everybody talks about gratitude, but really to find ways to feel that and to experience it - it really makes everything easier!

LH: Yeah! And well getting sleep! Yeah – you know just pull it back for a second.

AM: Yup!

LH: Let’s eat good, sleep, workout and I mean get the foundation. Because that can really allow you to endure some stuff.

AM: It’s such an honor to be able to talk with both of you as we’ve been fans of yours for years and to hear how as a power couple you continue to inspire, fuel, and push the boundaries it’s been a great time hanging with you guys!
LH: Let’s eat good, sleep, workout and I mean get the foundation. Because that can really allow you to endure some stuff.

AM: It’s such an honor to be able to talk with both of you as we’ve been fans of yours for years and to hear how as a power couple you continue to inspire, fuel, and push the boundaries it’s been a great time hanging with you guys!

GR: Thank you so much!

LH: Absolutely and what do we say, Aloha!

IG @gabbyreece

@lairdhamilton

@lairdsuperfood

@xptlife

PHOTO CREDITS | FRONT COVER Philip Dixon | PG 16 - 33 Courtesy Laird Hamilton + Gabby Reece | PG 34 + BACK COVER Anne Menke |

Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see FORCES OF NATURE | Laird Hamilton + Gabby Reece in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | LEAH VAN DALE

Read the APR ISSUE #88 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Leah Van Dale in mag.

BEYOND THE RING | LEAH VAN DALE

It's always great to reconnect with our faves and see how they continue to blaze new trails as they navigate the intersectionality of their lives. We first met Leah Van Dale back in 2019 for her SEP ISSUE #45 with us at the Mondrian Park Avenue Hotel. In this month's issue, she talks about her routine to the ring in WWE as Carmella who always knows how to bring the drama and athleticism, the importance of self-care, her recent marriage to Matt Polinsky/WWE's Corey Graves and her approach to fashion as she's always rocking amazing looks unapologetically.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so good to re-connect with you again and to catch up! To connect all of our readers at Athleisure Mag, what have you been up to, what are you looking forward to in terms of this year as you navigate your upcoming matches in the WWE?

LEAH VAN DALE: Yeah, I just had my first match back in about 7 months on Feb 6th! That was really exciting to be able to be back in the ring with a new look and back to my Moonwalking, trash talking, Princess of Staten Island character! It’s been a minute since I have been able to do that. I’m really enjoying that. I just really want to be able to focus on being the best version of me that I can and to have a lot of fun. That’s really my goal this year, to have a lot of fun and to not put too much pressure on myself.

AM: That’s great! In terms of the WWE, are there any events that you’re looking forward to that we should mark our calendars for?

LVD: Absolutely on the 18th, we have the Elimination Chamber, a Premium Live Event. I’m going to be in the chamber, there will be 6 of us, we’ll all be facing each other. The winner will face Bianca Belair at WrestleMania for the Raw Women’s Championship. I have never held the Raw Championship. I have been Smackdown Champion, I’ve been Tag Team Champion, but I have never held the Raw Title so I’m really hoping that I can win that match and go up against Bianca Belair for that match at WrestleMania.

AM: Obviously, we hope that you do! When you know that you will be heading into the ring, are there routines that you do before and after the matches so that you can prepare for the fight and do you have things that you do when you’re coming down after exerting all of that energy?

LVD: Oh yeah! I have a huge stretch routine. I have to stretch! I was a dancer in the first part of my life and I feel like I lost my flexibility because of the regimen that I do, being in the ring and the injuries that I have gone through. So because I feel like I lost a lot of my flexibility, stretching has been something that I have been focusing on a lot more lately. So I do a huge stretch before the match and then I really like to listen to Megan Thee Stallion. I put my headphones on and I just get in the zone and remind myself of what a bad B that I am and try to channel my inner Megan Thee Stallion and just get into character. Because Carmella is a lot different then Leah so I feel like I have to really remind myself of who I am and what I’m going out there to do.

After my match, something that I have learned through acupuncture because of my acupuncturist is that with WWE, it’s just go, go, go all the time, so it's to be more in the moment. It’s on to the next thing, hurry up and get to the airport, hurry up and land and get your rental car, hurry up and get to the hotel, hurry up and try to get some sleep, try to go to the gym. It’s always go, go, go, so I feel like I want to try to focus more on being in the moment. After that match and coming down from being on that high and adrenaline that took place out there which is running through my veins like that, I want to come down from that and just take a few minutes backstage by myself, unwind, recognize what I just did, being out there and performing in front of all of these people and then come back and just kind of take a minute and breathe! It's just about recognizing what I did, to be present and then to be able to move on to the next thing without being in such a blur.

AM: You’re clearly a fit person and especially in what you do. We have a great mild winter that has been taking place here in NY, which makes us think of the Spring and the Summer. What are 3 workouts that you do that we should consider adding into our own routines?

LVD: Ooo that’s a good question! I’m a huge advocate for [solidcore]. It’s basically Pilates I suppose, but Pilates to the 100th degree! It is insane and I’m really huge on that. So, I used to lift heavy for most of my career and most of my life, and I found that doing Pilates and doing [solidcore] has really transformed my body as it’s more resistance-based training as opposed to lifting heavy. It’s been so good on my muscles and my joints and I just feel like a new person. I feel strong and prepared when I do [solidcore]. So, I would definitely say that!

I’m huge into yoga I’m a big yogi. I really enjoy what it does for my body and my mind, both inside and out, huge fan of yoga. I think that honestly, I live in the city of Pittsburgh and I do a lot of walking. I think it’s pretty underrated. I love to go out for a nice walk, I bring my dog with me and I just walk all over the place. I walk to get coffee, I walk to go to the store. Anywhere I go, to get lunch, to get a juice – it’s so underrated, go outside, take a walk and get going! The steps add up.

AM: Oh yeah when you’re with your dog or your friends, it’s a nice thing to do. Totally agree with you.

As an entrepreneur, what do you look for when it comes to brands you’re thinking of launching or even partnering with others?

LVD: Great question! I feel that it has to be something that is super authentic to you. Anyone can go out and try to make a business out of something. But if you don’t love it and you’re not passionate about it, it’s going to feel like work, it’s gong to be work no matter what – but you’re going to notice how hard it is and how difficult it is if you don’t love it. I even look at it that way with the WWE. There’s no way that just anyone can walk off the street and do what we do. Not only because of the physical toll that it takes on you in the ring, but the travel! It’s so demanding! If you don’t love it, there’s no way that you’re going to last.

AM: I couldn’t agree with you more! I have to say that I have such a respect for you and the other WWE people. When we’ve shot with you, Nattie, Trinity and Danielle Moinet, when you guys came to set you’d share that you just drove 3 hours to get there, you had a fight the day before, a fight later on that same day after our shoot and the amount of schedules that you guys juggle and yet to see how happy you are and how you still interact with fans is insane!

LVD: It is a lot, but I think that you have to have great time management skills and like I said, if you love it, it doesn’t feel as difficult because you’re doing something that you’re enjoying. So you get an instant gratification from that.

AM: Are there ventures that you’re exploring that you’re able to share? Something that you’ve done which is really great, is that in addition to us knowing you as an athlete, you cover other areas in business because you’re truly an entrepreneur.

LVD: Well, I actually have something in the works that I can’t say just yet. When we’re able to announce it, it will be exciting! I’m really trying to focus on fashion right now and explore it. It’s something that I’m passionate about, I love it and I enjoy it. I’ve always loved clothes since I was a kid. I just think that it’s fun to be able to express yourself and to show who you are by what you’re wearing. I think that that is something that I will really try to focus on this year. I would love to have an athleisure line and to get more into that realm. I’m putting that out into the universe because it’s something that I really want to be able to do and to dive into.

AM: I could see you doing that as your IG always shows you killing a range of looks!

You recently got married to Matt! How is it juggling your busy lives with both of you part of WWE, working, traveling and your family? It’s so exciting.

LVD: It is so exciting! I think that we have really found our way into the groove. We both have such demanding and crazy schedules! Luckily, we’re both on Raw, so we’re on the same show; however, we both have separate commitments outside of just Raw. I have live events, he has currently been working with NXT talent. So we’re just kind of all over the place. FaceTime is great, we’re always communicating via text, all day every day. It just makes our time when we’re together, that much better because we get to be in the moment and present and enjoy each other. We have things that we can catch up on, but if we’re together all day every day, we already know everything happening in each other’s lives. It’s great to have a little bit of separation because then we can come together and chat about the things that we have going on with each other.

AM: It’s always fun to see you guys on IG or when you were doing your podcast show together, are there other projects that the two of you will do together that you’re able to share?

LVD: There’s actually nothing in the works right now. We love working together. It’s funny because we truly complement each other so well. We are truly opposite from each other. He’s more quiet and you know, a little mysterious, whereas I’m more kind of like obnoxious, annoying and just in your face. It’s funny the way that we compliment each other. We are thinking about bringing our podcast back. We had to take a break with getting married, then work was just insane and then life just got in the way. But our fans are really asking for it so I think that when the time is right, we will eventually go back to the podcast. There’s so much to update everyone on.

AM: It was so fun to listen to and I love a whole peanut butter and jelly aspect!

A few minutes ago, we were talking about fashion. How do you approach your closet? You wear items that are sporty to those that are chic, you play with proportions. You can truly tell that you just embrace playing and seeing what works and just enjoying that. How do you approach your closet in terms of the looks for the day and events when you’re going out?

LVD: I think that if someone were to ask me how I would describe my style, I don’t have a specific style. I like anything and everything. When I’m just at home, I’m usually in sweats. But I like for it to be something cute like a matching set or just a big baggy sweatpants and a crop top. I feel like I really try to just do the most. I don’t care if the look might offend someone. I’m always in a crop top, even if it’s in the winter, I really don’t care. I’m going to do the most, I just want to do something that makes me feel good and to just make a statement. I think it’s important that when it comes to my closet, that I don’t spend a lot of money on trendy items. I like to spend my money on a classic piece and something that I can wear forever and something that will last forever and won’t go out of style. If I’m going to go for something that’s trendy, it’s going to be a lot cheaper. I like to pair something cheap, with something expensive. If I have a nice pair of Louis boots and then I wear it with my $20 Fashion Nova jeans, who cares?

AM: How do you take time for yourself in terms of self-care so that you can reset and be present for whatever it is that is on your agenda?

LVD: As I mentioned earlier in working with my acupuncturist, that’s something that I have really been focusing on for the last few months. I think that it’s so important to take time for yourself. It’s not selfish. It’s a great way I think to be able to reset and to just be present in your everyday life. If you’re taking time for yourself, then you’re going to be a better wife, a better daughter, a better friend and a better employee. That’s because you’re not all over the place. I think it’s important to stay in the moment. I really like to schedule appointments. So if I have an appointment for my yoga, for my acupuncture, for a stretch, PT or the chiropractor then I make that commitment and I have to go. If I say, “oh I will stretch out when I’m at home,” there’s no way that I am going to do it. I’m going to get wrapped up in work or a phone call that is going to distract me. So I feel, that for me, when I make appointments, I have scheduled something and I know that I will be paying for it. I have to commit and I have to do it!

AM: For sure! There’s nothing worse than seeing a charge for a no show fee because you weren’t there. You’re just cheating yourself.

LVD: That’s the worst, legitimately the worst!

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in terms of the sport and the world? What’s that mark that others can look to and say that they know that that was what Leah Van Dale did and/or contributed to?

LVD: Oh my gosh, that’s such a huge and crazy question to hear! I think that when it comes to that, I want women, especially young women in general just to be able to realize that you don’t have to be just one thing. I think for a long time I thought that I was just a WWE SuperStar or I’m just the girl that comes out and dresses sexy on TV or I’m the girl that was the last Draft Pick in 2016. I’m so much more than that and I don’t have to fit into just one box! As women, that’s sort of what we are taught in society and it’s made us think that we are just one thing. No, I have so many more things to me and different aspects and sides of me that I want to share and I don’t have to be just the girl that dresses sexy or the girl in WWE. I’m also a step mom, a wife, a daughter, a friend and there are so many other things that define me! I’m not just one thing. I think that if I can pass anything on to women and using my social media platform and my following, that’s what I want women to know. You don’t have to be that and your thing can change by the way! Who I was in 2017 is a hell of a lot different then who I am now and that’s so different from who I am going to be a year from now! It’s ok to change, evolve and grow.

AM: And sometimes, circling back!

LVD: For sure! Absolutely!

AM: There have been things that 8 years ago you did it and whatever and then last year you think about it and realize that you want to bring it back to the front burner again. Things are fluid and we shouldn’t be beating up on ourselves.

IG @carmellawwe

PHOTOS COURTESY | PG 40 - 47 + 9LIST STORI3S PG 48, 49 + 51 Leah Van Dale

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see BEYOND THE RING | Leah Van Dale in mag.

THE ENERGY INNOVATOR | JENNIFER MAXWELL

It's always good to pay hommage to those that created categories that started with a product that we continue to enjoy to this day. We enjoy energy bars and there are so many to choose from; however, back in 1985, this category started with the PowerBar. In the 90's, we threw these bars into our bag. Jennifer Maxwell and her husband, created this brand and after selling the brand in 2000, she came back to this category that she created to add JAMBAR into the conversation! We took some time to talk with this innovator about how she came to the industry, creating PowerBar, introducing JAMBAR and the ethos of this company.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of your work in the industry for a number of years! Tell me about your background as I know that you’re a mom, an athlete, a musician and a food science nutrition expert.

JENNIFER MAXWELL: That’s right! So I started as a young girl being very athletic in high school and in college. I’ve always been interested in nutrition and how that plays into overall wellness and performance as an athlete. I was at UC Berkely as an athlete on the track cross country team that my future husband, Brian at that time. We started a project together to create the PowerBar. So this was all the way back to 1985 and this was before energy bars were even a thing. We worked in our duplex apartment to come up with the formulation and launch PowerBar. We started the company in 1985 and we launched it 1987 and created a whole industry. It was really the love of athletics and performance that we were able to do that. We grew the company to be really large and then we sold it to Nestlé in 2000 and that was my initial interest in this industry.

AM: I remember in the 90s then I was in middle school and in high school, I would throw a PowerBar into my bag and it was great to keep my energy going. The fact that this was the first and it opened the door to the energy bar as a category, how does it feel to know that you started this and to see how it has grown?

JM: It’s very satisfying. It gave me the interest to go from what was PowerBar to JAMBAR. Now there are so many energy bars on the market. So I thought, what can I do now that so many years have gone by and I wanted to re-enter the category because I’m very passionate about organic nutrition. JAMBAR is an organic energy bar. I was really interested to see what was out there and what else that I could create.

AM: You launched JAMBAR in 2021. I have to tell you that I am obsessed with Chocolate Cha Cha. I love that flavor. We got the variety box but that one is my favorite. Can you tell us more about JAMBAR and the flavors and the ingredients that you have in them?

JM: Ok. So there’s 4, Cha Cha like you mentioned, Musical Mango, Jammin’ Jazzleberry and Malt Nut Melody. The thing about JAMBAR which is really interesting is the quality of the ingredients. We didn’t sacrifice and make any short cuts in the creation of it. I spent over 4 years looking at what is available in the marketplace for proteins, gluten-free grain, etc and what were the best quality ingredients using real sweeteners which was really important to me – sugars that are inherent in nature. I wanted to provide options for people. So within those flavors, 2 are plant-based proteins (Musical Mango and Jammin’ Jazzleberry) and 2 are whey based (Chocolate Cha Cha and Malt Nut Melody). We have options for people that want to eat plant-based protein which is 10g per bar. So it’s a pretty comprehensive product and it has 4g of fiber and that’s what I wanted to do. The taste is great! When I looked at a portfolio of products, I wanted to have not just a product that was kind of the same. At JAMBAR, the chocolate is a very deep and rich chocolate which is very different from the Malt Nut Melody which has peanut butter and vanilla. The Jazzleberry has a lot of freeze dried berries – raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. The Mango has big pieces of mango in it. So it's a lot of fruit and a lot of quality of ingredients in each one.

AM: I love it and I love the texture too. It’s a very flavorful and satisfying bar to have. It’s really exciting. I love that there is this sentiment of this energy artisan bar. I love that phrase, what do you mean by that?

JM: So artisan means that we take time to produce in order to create these bars. It’s not something where we have mass mass production. We do make a lot of bars, but we have a production facility here and we make our own product. We don’t have a copacker because they make tons of products for other people. We make our own product and we take the time to craft the quality.

AM: Each bar has a musical name which I love. Why is music part of the ethos of the brand?

JM: Well, music is really important to me as a musician. I play in 2 bands now. Music came into my life a couple of years after my husband, Brian passed away in 2004. Music was a savior to me and I have always been interested in music. Something called to me to be a musician in 2007. I’m a drummer, mostly jazz – music is a huge part of my recovery. After the passing of my husband and raising my 6 children, I needed something that I could feel good about, keep working on myself, meet people and to be happy. Music provides all of those things.

When I got the formulation of JAMBAR now and decided to launch this company, I wanted to have more than just a great product. I wanted to have a company that had more of a purpose. Since music was important to me, I thought well, I want to support organizations that support music. That’s what JAMBAR does. We donate 50% of our proceeds to organizations that promote music and active living. Active living would be running races. Music is music performances, schools, kids music programs, live music programs, etc. That’s a huge part of the company. You get your jam on and that’s a music connection! It's a big purpose and JAMBAR exists as an all organic fantastic tasting and healthy energy option for consumers, but to also have that greater purpose and to contribute to the community for music and active living.

AM: I really like that. I love music, here at Athleisure Mag, we cover a lot of artists, my great uncle was a jazz tenor saxophonist, Joe Henderson.

JM: Oh really! Oh my ok!! I know Joe Henderson. In fact, I have played many of his tunes oh wow!

AM: Yeah so music is something that I grew up with and I have styled a number of music artists and just as someone who enjoys listening to it, it fuels the soul and even when I have traveled to other countries where we don’t speak the same language, the notes, the music, the rhythm and the melody really connects people as a language on another level. I think that it’s so amazing that that’s what you do with the brand as well! It’s great messaging on top of the fact that I literally love this product.

JM: Thank you!

AM: Of course! Are you going to have additional flavors or limited edition flavors that you’ll do with this brand?

JM: Yes. That is something that interests me because we’re small enough, nimble and make our own product that we would be able to do that for a limited edition or seasonal offering. I am working on another flavor and when we launch it, that’s definitely going to be something super fun.

AM: We will have to keep an eye out for that one!

JM: Oh yeah and with our consumers, we ask, what flavors do you guys recommend?

AM: You’ll be at the Natural Products Expo West in March. What are you looking forward to at this tradeshow which focuses on natural and organic products?

JM: Yeah, it’s JAMBAR’s debut! It will be our first big tradeshow. We have done other ones, but this is a big debut. To be able to connect with everyone from retailers, distributors, brokers and interested people that want to learn more about JAMBAR, our mission and our product. We’re really excited about it.

AM: I know that the brand is available in the Bay Area, Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. What’s the distribution strategy and will you be available here in NY and where can we get them online?

JM: We sell on Amazon.

AM: Nice.

JM: As well as our own website so that’s pretty easy. Since we’re based in California, most of our distribution is on the West Coast like you mentioned. We’re in larger retailers in the Bay Area because we’re here. We’re opening up our distribution in Southern California and in the PNW. We also have some distribution in North Carolina. We have a little bit coming east.

AM: Are there any partnerships or collaborations that you will do this year that we should keep an eye out for?

JM: Well we do between 20-25 events a month. We just did the San Francisco Half Marathon which was about 1,000 runners. It was fantastic. It rained a little bit but the runners had their JAMBAR after the event. We have the Silicon Wellness Summit, San Diego Half Marathon, the La Jolla Half which will be in May. We also have some Ultra running events, the Jane Fonda Women’s Icon Event that’s really fun. We have the Asheville Marathon in mid-March as well as the Oakland Marathon. So we have events like that that have let’s say 5-10,000 people. Then we also have very small events like a girl's softball opening day event that has 250 people. So we go from 250 people to 5-10,000 people.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Jennifer Maxwell

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ENERGY INNOVATOR | Jennifer Maxwell in mag.