When I went back to school to get my master's degree, I was also working full-time. My days were packed—work, then class, then studying, then sleep—and I felt like I had no time for myself. Unless I got up early.
So I started setting my alarm earlier and earlier to get a workout in and have a little "me" time. It turned out to be my sanctuary. Even with a hectic day ahead (which they always were), just having an hour to myself from 6am to 7am was better than having none. These workouts are still a major part of my daily routine, and I genuinely think I'm a happier person because of it!
Here are six brands I've come to admire over the years, as working out has become such a huge part of my life.
I love Barry's Bootcamp. They have locations all over, including one near me in Atlanta. It's one of the only places I'll go to work out outside of my apartment right now, as they handle COVID safety very well. And of course it's a great workout!
As far as workout fuel and recovery goes, I'm a big fan of Bloom Nutrition. The founder, Mari, has a really inspiring story—she turned her life around through fitness, and emphasizes the power of small, incremental goals and improvements—I've been following her for a couple of years now. And it certainly doesn't hurt that her protein vanilla milkshake is delicious. Her pre-workout and recovery drinks have amazing flavors as well.
Hopefully this isn't too surprising of a statement: when you work out, you should also make a point to hydrate! Flow Hydration is one of my favorite ways to do that. It's just good-flavored water, man! And it's the best after a nice workout.
Blogilates is Cassey Ho's website and app—she's got the #1 female fitness channel on YouTube and I love her training philosophy. I've relied pretty heavily on her throughout the pandemic, as she offers a lot of free workouts you can do at home. And her app is great and is reasonably priced, too.
I doubt I really need to intro lululemon. Even if you've actively avoided so much as driving past a gym once in the past ten years, it's pretty much a given you've seen somebody wearing lululemon, even if as athleisure wear. There's a reason for that: it's some of the best workout gear there is, and it looks great and feels comfortable, too.
And I have to give a shoutout to Sub_Urban Riot. On those cold mornings that I'm running to a workout class—much more common during pre-COVID times!—or looking to unwind after a particularly grueling session, more often than not I'll turn to this brand's hoodies and sweats.