This week’s Well+Being workout playlist is for all of you spinning and cycling fanatics out there. We asked Mint DC spinning instructor Karol Urban to put together an hour-long playlist perfect for getting those pedals spinning.
“There’s nothing better than good music to get your inspiration flowing and body moving,” says Urban, who is also a musician and co-owner of Urban Audio Post.
The following playlist includes a warm-up tune and a couple of cool-down songs to lower the heart rate at the end of a workout. Click here to listen to the playlist on Spotify.
Don’t have Spotify? Download it to your smartphone and you’ll be able to listen to this playlist wherever you go.
What are some of your favorite songs to listen to during a long bike ride or spinning session? Leave a comment with your suggestions or share your own Spotify workout playlist.
1. “We All Want the Same Thing” by Kevin Michael
2. “Automatic” by Aubrey O’Day
3. “Whip My Hair” by Williow
The Washington Sports Club is opening its doors for free once again, this time for all victims of Hurricane Irene. With the death toll of the storm currently at 42 and hundreds still dealing with severe flooding and no power, Town Sports International wants to lend a helping hand.
Sports Clubs in Washington, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston will offer use of its facilities for free until September 15. The clubs “will be opening its doors to all victims for full use of its facilities, whether it’s the need for a hot shower, to charge a cell phone battery, or simply to recharge their batteries with a stress-relieving workout.”
Town Sports International, operator of Washington Sports Clubs, wants first responders to know, “It’s time someone took care of you.”
In honor of those who risk their lives to save others, the Washington Sports Club is offering a first responders special discounted membership until September 11. Police, firefighters, EMS workers, military personnel, and volunteers can sign up for memberships for just $20 a month for life.
Inside the sleek new Nectar Skin Bar in Georgetown. Photograph by Dennis Kan
Being fair-skinned, I’ve always been somewhat of an odd one among my four naturally-olive-tanned sisters. For several years of my childhood I was addressed as “Casper the Ghost” in my household. True sibling love.
So when I decided to test out the Chocolate Sun organic sunless tan at Georgetown’s newly-opened Nectar Skin Bar, I did so with bittersweet apprehension: I was afraid the experience might make for one of those orange-skin horror stories I’d heard from friends. And while an authentic-looking tan is something I’d always wanted, I’ve never been willing to risk the long-term damage that can come from laying out in the sun—the dangers of harsh UV exposure are just too scary. But a sun-kissed glow from safe, natural ingredients? I couldn’t say no.
In 1998, Sara Damelio, an aesthetician in Silver Spring, started experimenting in her kitchen. She was looking for an all-natural cure for acne and other skin problems that had plagued her since she was a teenager. After what she estimates to be a thousand tries, Damelio concocted a mixture of apricot-kernel oil, black tea, and other natural and organic ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties that soothed her skin. Friends and family reported that it helped with eczema, diaper rash, and blisters. In 2005, the cream was sent to a soldier in Iraq, who found that it worked wonders on his sand-flea bites and sunburn. Combat-Ready Balm has found its way into medicine cabinets across Washington.
This stuff has been a mainstay in mine for years. I love it for mosquito bites; it takes away the itch. And on sunburned skin, it alleviates pain and redness.
A word of caution: The cream—which smells of cocoa butter with a bit of menthol—is greasy. A little goes a long way. Combat-Ready Balm—prices start at $5 for 0.125 ounce—is sold in salons and boutiques; you’ll find a list at skincando.com. Damelio also sells it through that Web site and donates jars to troops overseas. There’s a less greasy Combat-Ready Balm for kids.
Photograph courtesy Kind
If you’re looking for a free (and healthy) pick-me-up today, head to downtown DC, where folks from Kind, the healthy snack-food company, will be handing out oranges and free Kind bars, all-natural bars made with whole fruit and nuts.
The promotion is part of the company’s new initiative, Do the Kind Thing, a pay-it-forward campaign which encourages participants to do “one unexpected act of kindness each month.” This month’s “Kinding Mission” is to give an orange to someone who provides you nourishment—a restaurant employee, a cafeteria worker, a spouse, or roommate. Participants are encouraged to make a pledge here.
If at least 1,200 people sign up, Kind will partner with the Capital Area Food Bank’s Kids Cafe program to provide after-school meals and nutrition education to local kids. The program reaches 2,000 kids at more than 50 sites across Washington.
The Kind food truck will be handing out oranges and Kind bars from 11 to 2 today at 1900 L Street, Northwest.
Slideshow: Bike to Work Day 2011
We were up and at 'em bright and early this morning to check out the Bike to Work Day pit stop at Freedom Plaza. DC mayor Vincent Gray, council chairman Kwame Brown, Ward 6 council member Tommy Wells, and, of course, tons of bike commuters were on hand for the fun. Check out our slideshow to see all the action.
It could happen, people.
It’s not every day you get an e-mail from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the subject line “CDC Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse.” So when you do, you open it, right?
Turns out the folks over at the CDC’s Public Health Matters Blog have an excellent sense of humor. In their latest post, they explain how to get ready for a zombie attack and other completely possible disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.
Blogger Ali S. Khan writes: “The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder ‘How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?’ ”
Start your weekend in tree pose: Mint's Adams Morgan gym is hosting a yoga party tonight at 7:30. Photograph courtesy of Mint
Friday, April 29
Unwind from a long week at Mint’s Friday Night Yoga Party. The studio encourages participants to let loose their inner “wild thing” with a variety of yoga poses. 7:30 to 9:15 PM at the gym’s Adams Morgan location (1724 California St., NW). Register ($10 for members, $20 for guests) at MindBody Online.
Saturday, April 30
Participants in the Run Me Home Race can choose between 10K ($30) and 5K ($25) distances, plus there’s a fun run for kids ($10). Proceeds from the race will help raise awareness and benefit Loudoun County Foster Care and Adoption. 7:30 AM at Catoctin Elementary School (311 Catoctin Circle, SW; Leesburg). Register at active.com.
What it does: If you’ve ever wondered (or worried about) what’s in your favorite packaged foods, this app takes out some of the guesswork by making sense of nutrition facts and ingredient lists. Use your phone’s camera to scan a barcode, and the app will give you information such as calories and sugar per serving and a grade rating (A through D). It’ll also tell you if there’s anything on the ingredient list you should be aware of, such as preservatives or potentially harmful dyes. There are over 200,000 product codes in the app’s database, so chances are good that most items on your shopping list are included.
Our favorite feature: The app doesn’t leave you hanging if your favorite food gets a poor grade. It offers alternatives within the same food category that might be better options for your health. So if your favorite cereal gets a D, say, it will show you other cereals with A and B ratings.
Downsides: Read the fine print: Although the app is technically compatible with the iPod Touch and iPad, the scanning function doesn’t work on those devices. That means users must manually enter barcodes for each product by punching in the 12-digit number—a task we imagine to could get pretty tedious on a grocery run. Note, too, that the scanning function doesn’t work on iPhone 2 or 3G.
Compatible with: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price: Free
