THE BIG BENEFITS OF MENTAL FITNESS

If you want a body that’s toned, fit and healthy, you’re going to have to hit the gym. It’s not rocket science: we all know that lifting weights builds muscle and jogging improves cardiovascular health. What many of us don’t realize, however, is that similar principles apply when it comes to our brains. In this article, we discuss the idea of mental fitness and what you can do to keep your brain in tip-top condition.

What is Mental Fitness?

Quite simply, mental fitness involves taking steps to improve your psychological functioning. We’re not talking about becoming a genius or performing superhuman intellectual feats – although research does show that it’s possible to strengthen your memory and boost a cognitive capacity known as fluid intelligence. Rather, mental fitness involves simple tasks that you can perform each day to optimize your mental and emotional wellbeing. Read on to learn more.

The 5 Parts of Mental Fitness

In the gym, there are various activities that can be used to improve parts of your physical fitness – from cardio to upper body and leg strength, for example. Similarly, mental fitness is made up of various attributes that can be reinforced using different techniques. Below, we discuss five strategies that you can use to increase aspects of your mental fitness.

Visualizing (Or Daydreaming)

Visualization makes use of mental imagery, or daydreams, to improve your mental fitness. You might, for example, visualize yourself achieving a personal or career-related goal. Alternatively, you may imagine yourself taking the steps that you need to get where you want to be in life. Such forms of visualization have been shown to stimulate brain networks that are involved in motivation and goal-directed behavior.

On the other hand, visualization can also calm you down when you’re feeling stressed, thereby improving your focus and creativity. People usually accomplish this by visualizing themselves in a physical environment (real or imaginary) that feels safe and nurturing.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a form of Buddhist meditation. This technique requires you to focus on the present while accepting your moment-to-moment experience without judgement. Mindfulness represents a simple technique that you can implement at any point of your daily routine.

For example, you may choose to engage in mindful eating, where you focus on the flavors, smells and physical sensations that arise during a meal. Alternatively, you could choose to practice mindfulness while showering or brushing your teeth, paying close attention to your sensory experiences while bringing your focus back to the task at hand every time you notice that your mind is wandering. Some people even use mindfulness to take advantage of the time that they spend performing a daily commute.

Optimism or Hopefulness

The way that we interpret the world influences how we experience life. Optimism and hopefulness are lenses that we can use to view ourselves and the world in a healthier way. Contrary to what some think, this doesn’t mean ignoring the negatives. Rather, optimism and hopefulness involve making a deliberate attempt to view the world more realistically by making sure that we’re also paying enough attention to the positives.

For example, cultivating optimism is about learning to acknowledge your own strengths and recognizing that when things go wrong it’s not all your fault. Hopefulness means realizing that the challenges you face will not last forever and acknowledging that adversity builds resilience. Additionally, optimistic and hopeful people differentiate between situations that they can influence and those that are out of their control. An important aspect of mental fitness involves accepting situations that cannot be changed.

Relaxation and Good Sleep

When it comes to relaxation, different strokes work for different folks. You might find, for example, that spending time in nature, doing some light cardio or listening to relaxing music does the trick. Alternatively, deep breathing and progressive muscular relaxation (where you gradually relax tension throughout all your muscle groups) are popular techniques used by psychologists to promote relaxation. These sorts of exercises help to reduce stress and anxiety, thereby improving your physical, cognitive and emotional health.

Practicing relaxation has the added benefit of helping you sleep better. Healthy sleep is a vital habit for promoting mental fitness. Research has shown, for example, that sleep allows waste products to be cleared from the brain at night. It’s also during sleep that our brains create new neural networks and move the information that we have learnt during the day into our long term memory.

Physical Fitness

With recent developments in brain imaging technology, we now know that the brain-body connection is incredibly powerful. Physical activity goes a long way in promoting mental fitness – not just physical health. For example, research shows that exercise can boost your cognitive functioning, increase your energy and improve your self-esteem.

Exercise also provides mood-boosting endorphins and reduced levels of cortisol – a stress hormone that can negatively affect your health in many ways. Importantly, you don’t need to be running marathons to see the benefits. Evidence suggests that even a simple daily stroll can be enough to promote mental fitness by boosting your creativity, concentration and memory.

The Benefits of Mental Fitness

The benefits of the mental fitness techniques that we have discussed today are broad. You can apply these skills selectively to reap the specific benefits that you require. For example, research shows that thinking optimistically can increase your overall physical and mental wellbeing. Mindfulness, on the other hand, can help you manage stress and combat mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

We’ve also discussed how visualization can improve motivation and mental focus; and how keeping physically active can promote mental health by strengthening the brain-body connection. Finally, relaxation techniques can reduce stress and improve your sleep quality, which can go a long way in fostering basic brain health.

Train Your Brain for Mental Fitness

One of modern neuroscience’s most exciting findings is that our brains are neuroplastic, meaning that they can change. The way that we think and behave can strengthen or weaken specific neural pathways. This means that we can influence the structure and functioning of our brains to maximize our emotional and mental wellbeing.

Of course, this is sometimes easier said than done; and brain changes don’t happen overnight. Neuroscientists agree that practice is the key to success when it comes to mental fitness. By incorporating the above-mentioned skills into your daily routine, you can start building the brain that you want today.

Haley Neidich, LCSW has her masters degree from Columbia University and is licensed psychotherapist who has been in the mental health field for over 10 years. Haley is the Director of Clinical Development for ThriveTalk.com an online therapy company that instantly connects you with highly trained and empathic therapists who help you to craft a plan for powerful change in your life.

Read more from the latest issue of Athleisure Mag

GETTING A GOOD NIGHT'S REST

On Nov 9th, Daylight Savings Time will make its way back into our calendars again. In order to be prepared, we sat down with Beautyrest Sleep Expert, Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a sleep researcher at the NYU School of Medicine. We talked with her about getting a full night of sleep (even when we lose an hour in our day due to the change), how we can get into a proper sleep routine, meditation and how much sleep we honestly need.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Why is Daylight Savings time such a shift for us as we experience it every year?

DR. REBECCA ROBBINS: Human beings are creatures of habit, particularly when it comes to sleep. Our sleep is largely governed by a 24-hour cycle, or circadian rhythm. Small changes to this schedule, such as ‘sleeping in’ on the weekends, but also daylight savings time of even one hour can have a dramatic effect upon our sleep schedule, and subsequently our mood, alertness, energy, and health. For instance, workplace research shows employee performance declines significantly in the week after daylight savings time while employees adjust to a new sleep schedule.

AM: How can we prepare or Daylight Savings Time?

DR. RR: The transition to a new time and improved waking success can be eased with a few key strategies:

-Start going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night leading up to daylight savings time
-Practice good sleep hygiene (e.g., avoid caffeine after 2pm, keep your bedtime and rising time as consistent as possible)
-Make exercise a priority, this can help you adjust to your new sleep schedule
-Get as much blue light to boost your alertness during the day as possible, even on a cloudy day, walking outside in the morning and afternoon can help your body adjust to the time change
-Avoid light at night close to bed, including cell phones, as this can trigger our alertness when our bodies need to power down

AM: How can we create a successful sleep environment at home and when we travel?

DR. RR: Our bedrooms must be a sanctuary for rest, relaxation, and sleep. The best bedroom design features neutral tones and optimally, is devoid of technology such as cell phones or cable boxes. Most important, the mattress is the foundation to a good night’s sleep. I recommend the Beautyrest Black line, which features individually pocketed coils for low-motion transfer and optimal airflow, as well as memory foam on top for support and comfort.

AM: How important and linked are meditation and sleep?

DR. RR: Meditation is the practice of quieting the mind and focusing on the breath. It is a deep form of relaxation. Individuals who practice meditation frequently can reap many benefits, including improved sleep. Also, the strategies of medication (e.g., quieting the mind, slowing the breath) are tools that can help with sleep onset (i.e., the process of falling asleep), so meditation and sleep are indeed linked! To showcase this correlation, I recently led an in-bed meditation session for 150 attendees after an overnight Max Richter concert in New York City.

AM: How much sleep do we really need?

DR. RR: The duration of sleep we need to perform at our peak when we are awake changes over the lifespan. Children need almost as much sleep as they can get to support healthy development, teenagers actually need between 8 and 9 hours and adults typically require between 7 and 8 hours for optimal health, well-being, and cognitive performance. Many people tell me they need only 5-hours of sleep, but odds are they don’t even realize how much better they would feel if they slept for a few more hours.

AM: Are power naps beneficial?

DR. RR: Absolutely! A ‘power nap’ is a nap of 20 minutes. This is a great way to recover if you have to stay up late or have a hard time sleeping. Make sure to get up after 20 minutes or you may wake up groggy. One exception to this, however, is that power naps or naps of any kind are discouraged for individuals suffering from insomnia.

AM: What happens while we sleep beyond getting a good night's rest?

DR. RR: During sleep our brains, body, and skin go into deep repair mode. Sleep plays an important role in removing toxins from the brain and body. Sleep is also the time during the day when our blood pressure and body temperature, for instance, dip to their lowest points. Allowing our bodies to process through this complete and total repair and is what allows us to be optimally awake. This is actually something Beautyrest is focused on with the development of its mattresses. The brand believes that a great night’s rest can help you reach your full potential the next day which is why they are dedicated to using the latest in sleep technology and innovation.

AM: With Awards Season, how can we get great sleep and is there such a thing as a sleeping plan to ensure you are at your best?

DR. RR: A healthy sleep routine is a great idea all year long, but especially when you have an event and want to be fully awake and at your best. Unfortunately, we often make exercise and nutrition a priority during these periods but ignore sleep. You can certainly create a sleeping plan similar to a pre-event workout or nutrition plan to help you stay on-track. The best practices for maintaining any healthy habit, such as keeping a journal or schedule, apply here as well.

AM: What are 3 things that we can do to be mindful of getting good sleep?

DR. RR: Tracking sleep is increasingly common among the population! According to our research, as many as 80% of people use a mobile or wearable device to track their sleep. A new, low profile way to track your sleep (which is a great way to increase your mindfulness) is with the Beautyrest Sleeptracker monitor, which lies seamlessly under your pillow, allowing you to wake up to a breadth of data and insights about your sleep!

Another way to be more mindful about sleep is to set a gentle alarm at night for your bedtime routine. Optimally, we all take time to unwind and unplug with a routine that is relaxing. Set a gentle alarm to go off about 30 minutes before you want to be slipping into bed as a peaceful cue to you that it is time to start to unplug from electronics, take a bath or do some reading.

Finally, enhanced mindfulness about sleep can be achieved with simple journaling about your alertness level the next day in a notebook or word document.

AM: What yoga moves are conducive to sleep?

DR. RR: Exercise that is high intensity is undesirable before bed, but restorative yoga or a gentle flow from up dog to down dog are optimal for relaxing and softening any tense muscles before bed.

AM: Is there such a thing that people can work on projects in their sleep and if so, is it healthy?

DR. RR: Sleep is a time when we actually rehearse events and things we learned from the day before, making sleep an essential component of ability to remember and recall. Thus, healthy sleep is a critical part of memory and cognition.

AM: How important is it to dream and to remember them?

DR. RR: Dreaming largely takes place during Rapid Eye Movement sleep. It is neither important or unimportant to remember dreams, but we do find that if you start to talk about dreams with a spouse or friend, or journal about them, your ability to recall dreams is enhanced.

IG @DrRebeccaRobbins

Read more from the Sep Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Getting a Good Night’s Rest in mag.

6 WAYS TO OBTAIN THE ULTIMATE IN HYDRATION

Water is the key to life and it seems like as much as we know that we need it, there seems to be a bit of confusion on how we get through our water journey. Interestingly, much like everything in life, there is a schedule that we can use to stay on track!

I. WAKE AND HYDRATE

It's no joke, drinking water as soon as you get up is a great way to kick start your day! Especially when you're a coffee drinker, you want to ensure that you have established your hydration block as soon as you're up and moving.

II. HOLD OFF ON THE COFFEE

Many people hit the floor, go to the bathroom and the hunt for coffee is on - but drinking coffee actually makes you want to go to the bathroom which increases the feeling of dehydration. By waiting 2-3 hours, you've given your body some time to hold onto the water that you put in.

III. DURING MEALS, DRINK WATER

As you enjoy your meal, drink water. This allows you to come up for air while also allowing your body to feel full. It's best for the digestion and it ensures that your intake of water continues throughout your day!

IV. EAT FOOD THAT HAVE A HIGH WATER CONTENT

If you're water bottle isn't nearby, think of other ways to incorporate water such as cantaloupe, spinach, oranges, celery, cucumbers and of course watermelon (we're always on the hunt for yellow watermelon which we find super hydrating). Of course, when consuming them, go ahead and take refreshing sips of water as well.

V. AVOID CAFFEINE 6 HOURS BEFORE BED TIME

Just like you should make sure that coffee is consumed after you have been up for a few hours, you need a little bit more of a buffer before you go to bed. 6 hours means that when you hit that slump at work, you'll have to find other means to give you a bit of a burst to continue throughout your day.

VI. GRAB A GLASS OF WATER BEFORE BED

Think about it if you haven't consumed a lot of water throughout the day as noted above, by the time you get to the evening, you're not only dehydrated BUT you're sleeping throughout the night without any water! Drinking one glass will keep you refreshed and make it easier for your body to do what it does while you slumber!

ATHLEISURE LIST | NAP YORK

In our lifecycle, the concept of napping has an interesting notion. When we're infants, you take long ones throughout the day, as you get older during adolescence - you avoid it and then when we are fully embracing adulthood, we embrace the notion of taking them again - we even tout the benefits of the Power Nap. For those of us in NYC, we don't have to wonder about where we can go to get a little shut-eye.

This Spring, Nap York brings a number of concepts together within the wellness aspect of a live/work balance. Guests can purchase naps at 30-minute blocks of time up to 8 hours and
the facility is open 24 hours a day! This wellness club does not stop at just focusing on your needs for a sound sleep, its pods allow you to get a bit of shut-eye, or to meditate in silence with the ultimate goal of relaxation.

Each pod has a canopy of twinkling stars that provides a private space. The eco-friendly pods are private, safe and are soundproof. These pods accommodate one person. When reserving
the pod, they are outfitted with an Airweave mattress and pillow which has the newest innovations in sleep technology. Items can be stored under the beds and they have a Nest Protect which is an innovative alarm that detects smoke and CO. Recharge your phone as you relax as long as it stays on silent mode.

Situated in Midtown's Garment District, provides hollistc services that work within your flow from, quiet workspaces (these can be rented by the half hour which allows you to work when you're looking for a quiet space that is an alternative to a coffee shop), a café with a number of healthy options that fit your dietary needs, meditation classes as well as yoga.

Guests find a new destination that merges the mind/body/soul connection. In addition, the space also has a welcoming environment that makes you feel like you have left the urban
jungle with a botanical jungle that is filled with greenery and soothing decor that places you in a nature oriented environment.

Hand-crafted locally in New York City, our eco-friendly pods are designed with privacy, safety, and sound proofing in mind. Rest your body on an Airweave mattress and pillow, which use the newest innovations in sleep surface technology. This means no springs and no foam, providing you with sleep unlike any you've ever had.

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NAP YORK
480 7th Ave
NY, NY 10018
www.napyork.com

Read more from the April Issue and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Nap York in mag.

TAKING A BREAK IS HEALTHY

We're fans of Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD who always gives it to us straight when it comes to being our best selves! With the razy winter freeze coming back and getting into our routine post holiday, it's essential to take a break so that we stay charged for whatever comes at us! Dr Hafeez left us with some tips that we wanted to share with you.

Overloaded on bad news? You're not alone. When we tune in to see what's going on all we see is suffering from natural disasters, shootings, terror attacks, reports about economic uncertainty and a divided political climate, plus celebrity deaths and just mean people being mean. We hear about a tragedy or disaster and we become glued to our TV’s and news feeds growing more and more anxious as rapid updates flow in.

While it is important to be informed being a “news junkie” can be very damaging. It can cause insomnia, stomach and headaches due to anxiety. It can also lead to mindless eating, alcohol consumption and other coping behaviors that are unhealthy. What’s worse, is constant attention on negativity creates neuropathways in the brain that tell us we are unsafe activating a constant state of fight or flight. This fight or flight conditioning damages our cells depletes our immune systems allowing disease and chronic conditions to fester.

The opposite is taking a self-imposed weekly break from the news, TV and social media. What follows is a list of some benefits of unplugging or “going off the grid” and what we can do to shift our mood from doom and pessimism to hope and optimism.

1.     You reconnect with yourself. When you unplug from the outside, you plug into the inside of who you are. You’re able to think of the kind of world you want to live in and assess what you can do within your own life to live well. People make the mistake in feeling guilty, selfish or uncaring if they aren’t commiserating with others on some negative news event. What you are doing is self-preserving and protecting how you feel.

2.     You’re attentive to those who matter most. When you watch the news, you get absorbed and tune out everyone around you. Your kids may try to get your attention or worse, may hear the news on in the background while they are around making them anxious and concerned for their safety. 

3.     You have time to take action! We have to remind ourselves watching the news helps no one. Some people find it helpful to volunteer in some way. Donating blood, collecting clothing or other supplies from neighbors and organizing a donation gets you away from the TV and into positive action.

4.     You become mindful of your mood and make how you feel top priority. When you’re filling your mind with negativity, you attract more of it into your own life. This impacts your work, family, friends, even your pet! When you don’t feel happy and optimistic you can’t possibly be there for the people and things you care about. Substituting negative news for an audio book, a new course or workshop, even a more entertaining uplifting TV show will lift your spirits.

5.     You’re less distracted and more focused. When you’re not preoccupied with the constant barrage of negative news, you’re able to be more present and focused. This impacts everything from driving your car to meetings at work. When you’re clearer, tasks are done right the first time with attention to detail.

6.     You laugh more and worry less. Taking a break from the news frees you up from worry. You immediately open yourself to more fun topics of conversation and aren’t taking life so seriously anymore.

7.     Your energy rises! When people are pessimistic their facial features and posture sags. Their eyes lose their sparkle. No one wants to be around sluggish energy zappers. When you consciously decide to take a break from the news, you aren’t starting your day with negativity but instead perhaps a nice morning walk or some other form of exercise.

Try a no-news is good news approach every weekend and pay attention to how you feel. Create your own good news!

About the Doctor:

Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD is a NYC based licensed clinical psychologist, teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C. a neuropsychological, developmental and educational center in Manhattan and Queens. 

Dr. Hafeez masterfully applies her years of experience connecting psychological implications to address some of today’s common issues such as body image, social media addiction, relationships, workplace stress, parenting and psychopathology (bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, etc…). In addition, Dr. Hafeez works with individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), learning disabilities, attention and memory problems, and abuse. Dr. Hafeez often shares her credible expertise to various news outlets in New York City and frequently appears on CNN and Dr.Oz.

Read more from the Dec Issue

POP INTO GOOD HEALTH WITH CASSEY HO

It's all about balance. Looking and feeling your best is all about giving yourself what your body needs from exercise, eating right, having personal time and also getting sleep. Our lives are pretty hectic so sometimes it may be tough to make sure that we have everything that we need. We took some time to chat with Cassey Ho, who is not only the founder of Blogilates and continued on to POP Pilates.

, but travels around the country motivating others to embrace their bodies and to stay moving. We chatted with Cassey to find out more about how she got started, what her day is like and her partnership with Zzzquil and how essential sleep is to her routine to stay on top of it all.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We've been fans for years! Please tell our readers how you came to creating Blogilates?

CASSEY HO: I created Blogilates back in 2009 when I was teaching a class at 24 Hour Fitness in Los Angeles after college. I was teaching about 30-40 students every Tuesday and Thursday
night. I was about to move to Boston for my first job out of college and my students were like “what are we going to do without you during the week? No one else teaches Pop Pilates.” I decided to film a video just for those 40 people, put it on YouTube and then I left [for Boston]. The next time I looked at that video, it had thousands of views and hundreds of comments. I read the comments and people were asking if I could do another butt video or another ab video and these were not just the people at 24 Hour Fitness, they were from people all over the world. Now we have over 3.7 million subscribers on YouTube, which is craziness, and it all is stemming from the intention to want to teach.

AM: What drew you to Pilates and why is this such a good method to do in terms of toning your body?

CH: I really love Pilates because it is all about competing against yourself and who you were yesterday. You do not have to compete with anyone else. Pilates is so good for your body because if you are doing mat Pilates you do not need any equipment and you are using your body strength, which also means you have fewer excuses when you are traveling. You don’t have to go to the gym to do Pilates; you can do it literally in your hotel room or at home. My form of Pilates is called POP Pilates, which is Pilates with pop music, so it makes it really fun to do and it is like a dance on the mat.

AM: What are you currently working on and tell us more about Sheroic podcast?

CH: I am currently working on the next POPFLEX collection, which is my active wear line and we are hoping to launch some new lines in the fall, which will be fun! Also on June 21, we are launching the Sheroic podcast. I am super excited about it and I am hosting it with my good
friend and fellow female entrepreneur, Lisa Bilyeu. We are talking everything female empowerment, how to follow your dreams, how to have successful relationships and how to deal with failure. We also talk about body image, plastic surgery and pretty much anything and
everything else. We get real, we get raw and every episode will leave you with at least one nugget of knowledge that will enrich your life.

AM: What are 3 exercises that are good to tone abs, legs and your butt?

CH: A great one for abs is the eagle crunch. You would cross your knees over each other and then cross your ankles if you can and cross your elbows over each other and then your wrists, if you can. Essentially, you are trying to make the body nice and tight. While you are laying on your back, squeeze and crunch up touching your elbows to your knees and then you release. That action is really going to attack your core, your abs and it is pretty insane. You will want to
try about 15 or 20 of those and the slower, the better.

For legs, I really like squat lunges. This is from my PIIT28 workout (Pilates Intense Interval Training), in which you begin in a squat with your legs hip width apart and toes tracking forward. You squat down with your chest open and back flat. Your butt will be almost to the floor, at least parallel to the floor. You then jump up and land in a lunge. Then you go back
into your squat, jump up and land in your lunge on the other side. This is all cardio, lots of legs and added butt too.

If you want another butt exercise, one that I really do enjoy is the standing single leg lift. Imagine you are balancing on one foot, leg is straight, hands on the hips and the other leg extended behind you, nice and long with your toe pointed. Now, while balancing on that foot like a flamingo, bend your knee and extend it up. That is really going to tack that one glute. Then to get the other glute, you lift the other leg high in the air and bring it back to that parallel position. This entire sequence is so good for your legs and your butt.

AM: What are great power foods that we can eat in order to maintain our energy when we're running around or about to work out?

CH: If you are looking for energy foods, you are looking for something with a bit more carbs in it for that quick energy. For me, I enjoy a really good acai bowl. You get your fruit, maybe some granola and it is fun to eat. Acai is really so good for you so I like that. They also make beautiful pictures.

AM: What is your personal style when it comes what you wear when you work out vs what you wear for brunch vs going out for date night?

CH: For working out, I love looking really cute because it keeps me motivated. I also think that looking cute helps with better form. If you look in the mirror and feel good about your outfit, you will have better form. I like wearing my own line, POPFLEX Active, because I like testing
my clothes to make sure they are working. I want to make sure that the pants are not see-through when you squat or that your boobs stay in when you do jump squats. These are all very important things, so I love testing the clothes before anything comes out.

In terms of what I wear for brunch versus going out, sometimes I finish my workout and head straight to brunch. I’m cool with doing that because I feel like the workout wear is very versatile, but I also really love rompers. I can wear rompers all day long. Rompers for brunch, rompers for date night, rompers all the time.

AM: Being healthy focuses on eating right and working out, how important is sleep to this formula?

CH: The three pillars for health are eating healthy, being active daily and getting enough rest daily. I think many people skip on the sleep part because it is not often talked about with the same level of emphasis as working out and eating right. I think people need to try to get 7-8 hours of sleep a day. Obviously, everyone is different but that is the number that tends to work for me and when that happens you will not only learn better, but you will remember more and
feel happier, which studies have proven. A recent ZzzQuil survey found that nearly nine in ten Americans (87%) say they experience trouble falling asleep—I can definitely relate to this! When life keeps me up, like when I get back from a big trip, I get major jetlag and it is very difficult to fall asleep, which screws with my entire weekly routine. On those occasional nights when jet lag keeps me up, I will take ZzzQuil, a realistic solution that helps me fall asleep usually in as little as 20 minutes. Then I am able to wake up the next day feeling refreshed and
ready to go!

AM: Tell us about your partnership with ZzzQuil and why do you prioritize sleep?

CH: I’m very excited to be partnering with ZzzQuil to promote the importance of sleep and rest to my fans. Sleep is so important and people often try to take time out of their sleep so they can get more done. The truth is when you try to get more done, you are not as productive because you don’t feel as good or energized.

Sleep needs to be there and it needs to be done every day. Of course sometimes when you aren’t able to sleep because you’re going to go out later or something comes up, that’s fine every once in a while. However, over a long period, it can be detrimental to your wellbeing.

So many people ask me my secrets to maintaining a healthy lifestyle when life gets busy and honestly, one of the biggest factors for me is sleep. I prioritize sleep because it helps my body literally function. I had issues with not being able to lose weight because I was not sleeping enough. That was something that I didn’t realize until I discovered it, because I didn’t sleep enough. Sleep also helps with my memory, which is awesome because I have to memorize
POP Pilates choreography all the time and that is a lot of moves and sequences. Getting a good night’s sleep after practice is helpful to be able to drill the moves into my memory.

AM: Do you have a sleeping routine, such as writing in a journal, drinking a tea etc. to begin the process?

CH: My sleep routine consists of some stretching at night and if I have time I’ll put on one of my favorite Netflix shows and stretch for about an hour to really open up my body. That puts
me in a calm mood physically. Then I’ll head to bed and I will begin to read, which calms my mind and helps me drift off into sleep.

AM: Please share anything that you feel you'd like our audience to know!

CH: For anyone out there that feels like they can’t pick their butt off the floor and they feel unmotivated to work out, I would say you need to figure out what it is that makes you really excited and really happy when you are moving. Even if it’s something as simple as walking, that’s fine. It doesn’t have to be crazy or intimidating, like CrossFit or running a marathon, but everyone has something that will really work for them and get them excited. We are all different human beings, so all of our workouts and diets are going to be a different prescription for ourselves. I suggest you try everything and I know you are going to find that one thing that gets you excited to want to jump out of bed and just do it, and that will be the right workout for you. Working out should make you happy, it shouldn’t feel like a chore.

Read more from the June Issue and see Pop Into Good Health with Cassey Ho in mag.