Home to the Original Muscle Beach, Santa Monica has been attracting fitness gurus for decades.
Today, Santa Monica is still widely known for its active lifestyle and is at the forefront of many health trends.
Whether you are inspired by food, fitness or fashion, here are a few healthy tips from the Santa Monica wellness community for the New Year.
Discover Santa Monica On Bike
Regularly increasing your heart rate with exercise has been linked to lowering cholesterol, improving cardiovascular health, weight loss, reduced levels of stress, and improved sleep habits. Feel the spike by renting a bike at one of Perry’s on the Beach’s four Santa Monica locations and exploring beautiful Santa Monica on two wheels. Learn about Perry’s bike services, tours, and beach rentals and services at www.perryscafe.com.
Spend More Time Upside Down
Studies have show that performing inversions lead to increased energy, spine lengthening, increased strength and flexibility, and better digestion. Gain all of this and more with Jill Franklin’s Aerial Physique, offered at M7 Fitness on Montana Avenue. Aerial Physique uses an apparatus called “aerial silk” to give you the strength of a Cirque du Soleil performer, the beautiful lines of a ballet dancer, and the ease of movement like a Pilates pro. Visit www.aerialphysique.com.
Plan Your Workout
People who work out daily are healthier, happier, and more productive than their less active counterparts. The students at Revolution Fitness who pre-plan their exercise for the week by signing up for a variety of classes are 85 percent more likely to stay committed to an exercise program and their fitness goals. Whether you want to try spinning, core barre, strength, yoga, Pilates, TRX, or Indo-Row classes, Revolution Fitness offers it all. Visit www.RevolutionFitness.net.
Sweat Out The Toxins
Doing yoga in the heat increases metabolism, flushes toxins, increases flexibility, and strengthens the immune system. Enjoy all of these benefits while breaking a sweat at Hot 8 Yoga, and then grab a fresh pressed juice on your way out after class. Read more about the benefits at www.hot8yoga.com.
Get Healthy Skin
Keep skin healthy by getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water to keep skin hydrated. For a truly radiant complexion, swing by Skin Laundry’s new Montana Avenue location for an innovative laser treatment that will vaporize bacteria, minimize pore size, reduce pigmentation and encourage collagen stimulation. Visit www.skinlaundry.com for more information.
Easy Hair Care
Sechoir+ believes in the promotion a healthy lifestyle through positive thinking. Meditating the mind, body and heart and purifying the mind with good thoughts will positively impact the body, both physically and mentally. To look as good you feel, visit Sechoir+, Montana Avenue’s new eco-friendly Aveda salon, to experience its full blow dry bar with an extensive menu selection including: modern braiding, elaborate blow dries, updos, cut, color, extensions and hair and scalp treatments. For a full list of services, visit www.sechoirplus.com.
Fitness Fashion
Need some extra fitness motivation? Let a new workout wardrobe inspire you! Lorna Jane at Santa Monica Place lets you make a sporty statement in bright hues and vibrant prints made from intelligent performance fabrics that are perfect to go from the juice bar to the gym in ultimate style. Receive 20 percent off your purchase during Eat Well Week (Jan. 5-12) with proof of receipt from a participating restaurant. Visit www.lornajane.com.
Get A Healthy Glow
No sun, but still want the glow? Get a healthy and natural faux glow at Santa Monica’s Chocolate Sun, which offers organic and antioxidant-infused airbrush tanning. As the pioneer and creator of the first organic sunless tanning solution chocked full of anti aging antioxidants, Chocolate Sun was recognized by Allure Magazine in their 2013 “Best of Beauty Awards.” Visit chocolatesun.com.
Start With Healthy Ingredients
A clean healthy diet begins with fresh simple ingredients. Start 2013 off right by visiting one of the acclaimed Santa Monica Farmers Markets. Choose from four weekly markets, each with their own unique personality and experience, to discover the seasonal ingredients that will inspire your new lifestyle. Visit smgov.net/farmersmarket for location details and recipes.
Enhance Your Cooking Skills
Learn how to make your own delicious meals from locally sourced Santa Monica Farmers Market produce at the Gourmandise School of Sweets & Savories in The Market at Santa Monica Place. One great option for beginners is the Follow That Chef series, where students have the opportunity to meet a chef or book author, tour the Santa Monica Farmers Market and head back to the school for a cooking demonstration. Learn more and sign up for classes at www.cookingschoolsofamerica.com/thegourmandiseschool.
Get Outside
Turning fitness into fun is a key component for long-term weight loss. Whether you prefer surfing, volleyball or beach yoga, O’Neill’s flagship store in Santa Monica has everything you need for a fun and active day at the beach including: towels, wax, surfboards, board shorts, bikinis and wetsuits and O’Neill 365, a new fitness line rooted in the same technology and innovation that first invented the wetsuit in 1952. Visit www.oneill.com.
Buy Local
You make an investment in the local economy, save time, and reduce your carbon footprint with each purchase made close to home or work. Support Santa Monica businesses by buying locally! Learn more at buylocalsantamonica.com.
Reshape. Recharge. Renew.
Get inspired to reshape, recharge and renew in the new year with a radically different fitness and body-shaping experience that European and South American women have been benefiting from for decades. Iobella’s cutting edge technology will help you achieve your body’s ideal shape and leave you feeling radiant and renewed. Call 310-579-2078 or visit www.iobella.com to arrange a complimentary consultation and body measurement analysis.
