#WeGotGoals by aSweatLife

I was never the kid who sought out a jump rope for fun, I wasn’t counting how many jumps I could do uninterrupted, and I wasn’t doing double dutch. However, as an adult I was handed a jump rope to work out and after a couple of minutes, I was gassed. So I incorporated it into workouts and developed a love for how much I hated it. At one point, I was even teaching a fitness class called “Ropes Gone Wild,” but that’s a story for a different day. So when CrossRope reached out, promising to make jumping rope at home a fun part of your workout (with a connected fitness component), I tried it, I loved it, and I selected a 25-minute workout my first time back to jumping rope. That was a mistake - my poor calves. And in the world, we’re going back to hybrid everything - hybrid work, hybrid workout. I know for me, if I choose to work out at home, it's because I’m in a time crunch, so I need whatever I do at home to be efficient. So today, we’re talking to two experts from Crossrope: Dave Hunt, Founder and CEO of Crossrope, and Jennika Landon, a Crossrope Trainer (who I’m pretty sure is also a molecular biologist). We’re going to dig in to making at home workouts fit your time and your lifestyle. References: CrossRopeCrossRope on InstagramDave Hunt on LinkedInJennika Landon on LinkedIn

As a lifelong learner, I feel pretty fortunate that I get to interview smart people, innovators, and inventors and say, "teach me something." And this week, the big question was about Essential Fatty Acids. What makes a fatty acid essential? Spoiler: you have to ingest it and your body needs it for important functions. And what about saturated vs. unsaturated fats? We dig in with the co-founders of Fatty15, Stephanie and Eric Venn-Watson, on the discovery of the essential fatty acid you'll find in the Fatty15 capsules: C15:0. And the best part? Stephanie was studying dolphins when she made this discovery. Resources: Fatty15Stephanie Venn-Watson's TED Talk about her discovery that C15:0 is an essential fatty acid.rom The Washington Post:My first interview with Stephanie and Eric

The thing about being human is that we’re born ready to discover the world - the sights, the sounds, what makes us happy, what scares us, and even who we are. Our identity is something that comes to us piece by piece as we mature and explore the world around us. Can you imagine living a life that fully supports you discovering your identity? Today, we’re speaking with Dr. Gwen Bass about her work in creating identity-affirming environments that promote belonging. She also wrote a book Called Immaculate Misconception about her journey to finding her biological siblings who shared a sperm donor as well as her family that was created around love and belonging. She was one of the first children conceived in the '80s to two lesbian moms.That journey of identity and hiding her identity in certain situations and being accepted in others shaped her research and her academic work since. In this conversation, she talks about risk factors and protective factors for identity. Dr. Gwen shares some steps that leaders can take to ensure that folks know that they an be themselves while not getting in the way of others needs being met. We talk about how the concepts of belonging apply to the fitness space. Dr. Gwen chats through how yoga is an exceptionally inclusive fitness space because of the ways instructors cue leveling up and down, using props. She talks about: References: Dr. Gwen BassImmaculate MisconceptionDr. Gwen Bass on aSweatLife.comPeloton Digital fitness

We kicked off season 9 of the podcast a bit later than expected. We learned of the untimely and unexpected passing of Ryan Deffet this fall - aSweatLife's friend and the longtime editor of this podcast. We waited to come back until we could mourn Ryan and find a way to properly memorialize him. His friends and band mates from The Space Gators allowed us to use a song that featured Ryan on vocals called "Somewhere To Be" at the upfront of the episode. We hope you'll take the time to listen to that beautiful song in this week's episode. We spend this episode going over what's to come on aSweatLife (including big updates for the Ambassador program) and on our podcast. As we come back this season, you'll hear us talking to experts who we ask to teach us something. We're excited for you to come along with us on this journey. Show notes:Ryan DeffetThe Space GatorsThe aSweatLife Ambassador programEmail the aSweatLife team if you want to partner for aSweatLife's Studio of the MonthCourtney DauwalterCircleTour du Mont Blancsummarizedmy officiating skills (and the cutest wedding ever)the moment we all waited forReflections from summer

It has admittedly been a weird week or so on the Internet. We went from learning that aliens might be super real (told you, Gideon) to moving on. Maybe it was the full moon, who knows. So, we decompressed and talked it over on our monthly tête-à-tête - our podcast episode that we call "Let's Talk About It." Sure, we spent a little bit of time talking about aliens and whether or not they're just tourist, but we also covered which astrology apps we like and what we're saving on Instagram and TikTok. On this week's episode, you'll hear from me, Jeana Anderson Cohen, and from the Senior Director of Communities at aSweatLife, Kelly Matkovich. Joining us is Dana Farber who runs Moonstone marketing and works with aSweatLife on content strategy and social media. Resources:Snack queen baked potato dipWomen living alone - extra lockTreehouse glamping in WashingtonHeel hookTour de mont blancDerma planingUFO hearingsTherabody smart gogglesMystic MondayCo-starPatternSanctuaryThe chani appmystic mondayDana’s playlists for moods: sadDana’s playlists for moods: stay in bedDana’s playlists for moods: Lazy AfternoonTherabody Smart Goggles

Have you ever seen a small, round sensor on the back of someone’s arm? For a long time, those continuous glucose monitors were only used for monitoring the blood glucose of those with Diabetes. My grandfather had diabetes and he would check his blood glucose twice a day using a finger prick. I remember distinctly the sound of the little device - it was like a stapler - I also remember the curse words that would follow. So, I assumed as I was putting the Freestyle Libre on the back of my arm that it would be as painful as the finger pricks. It was not. And for two weeks, I wore it and dutifully trained the January.ai App to help me understand and control my blood glucose. It created something called a "digital twin" which learned which behaviors led to blood sugar spikes and valleys. If creating a digital twin of yourself sounds scary, and like the robots are coming. Well, the robots are coming anyway, so, we might as well team up with them to make our lives better. Joining me today is Noosheen Hashemi, CEO and Founder of January.ai, which uses AI to help manage your glucose and predict the impact of key behaviors on our body’s unique metabolism. Resources:January.aiFollow January on InstagramAbbott will be releasing more sensorsEliud KipchogeExercise and blood glucoseNoosheen’s daughter on Instagram How blood glucose testing works with testing strips

If we were on TikTok right now, I’d be referring to myself as an “anxiety girlie” and as such, I have tried many, many anxiety coping mechanisms and recently, I discovered the Quiet Mind weighted pillow and I am super in love. And joining me today on the podcast is Mikey Goldman, creator of Quiet Mind. We talk through where the idea came from, and a few of his big backers, like Nick woodman of GoPro and Chad Hurley of YouTube. We also discuss the reasons Mikey created Quiet Mind - a diagnosis of ADHD and managing the symptoms that came with taking multiple medications - and how surprising it was to him that a weighted pillow didn't exist already. References: Quiet MindThingtestingScholarly article about Deep Pressure StimulationThe effects of deep pressure on AnxietyBetter Homes and GardensHugging a pillow while sleeping

I'm the kind of friend that keeps up with people through their posts. And this year, it's been pretty hard to miss what my friend AND yours Gideon Akande is up to: he committed to doing 365 consecutive days of movement. He's calling it Project 365, and it's a lot less daunting than you might think. On this week's episode of the podcast, I asked Gideon to share the rules of his challenge - he didn't love the word "rules," but shared the guidelines nonetheless. Basically, he can do anything for exercise at any time of the day as long as it's "concentrated exercise" for a minimum of 15 minutes. So taking a walk for exercise versus taking a walk to commute and counting the multi-task. At first, I was worried about his recovery. "He'll burn out!" I thought. But on a closer look, he's doing this in a safe and strategic way. (It's almost like he's a personal trainer or something). So we talk about WHY he started and I found it completely relatable. As a new dad, he found himself moving less. And because movement is a big part of his life as a three-time Chicago Golden Gloves champion, trainer, and national winner of the Men’s Health Next Top Trainer competition. He lives for movement and wanted to make sure he was walking the walk. I loved this entire conversation, but my favorite part was hearing what Gideon has learned in more than six months of this challenge. I won't spoil it for you, but the key word is JOY. Resources: Gideon Akande on InstagramGet a 7-day trial of the get Fit with Giddy appBody Bar PilatesIyanEfo Riro Restore Hyper WellnessLive SciencesTrain momentLululemon ExperientialRise nationSwish houseMovementNorthern Lights visible in Chicago this Wednesday July 12

This week, in passing we mentioned that at the end of the aSweatLife summer intern’s time with us we would sit down and tell her everything we had to learn the hard way after college graduation. Then we realized that we should probably record it as it’s hot on our minds and is really the only thing we can think about this week. Ever since we had the conversation as a team, I thought about the things that I learned through whisper networks or by falling on my face. They were innumerable. So, we’re not going to gatekeep it. Julia had good questions for us:Work related Personal And we prepared a little advice for her:And the aSweatLife Ambassadors shared some guidance:Honestly, this was my favorite part: sourcing guidance from this group of really unique humans. Here's what they said: Resources:Ladies Get PaidAsk a ManagerQuestions that Julia sourced from the InternetJanuary.ai

During aSweatLife’s annual event, Sweatworking Week, we met a lot of new people. We love that about Sweatworking Week. And they had questions about where aSweatLife came from and why. We figured we might as well share the story since you’re asking. So this week, we turned the tables and Kelly Matkovich, who leads aSweatLife's ambassador program interviewed Jeana Anderson Cohen, founder/CEO of aSweatLife. We talk over the beginning of aSweatLife, where the ambassadorship came from, our first revenue stream and what keeps us going today. References: aSweatLifeaSweatLife ambassadorsAmbassador programHow Dabbling Helps Your CareerDevil’s Thumb RanchOura Ring

At aSweatLife, we always say that everything is better with friends. And because of that, we get to spend time meeting entrepreneurs and tastemakers in the wellness space. Like a lot of them. But when one of the aSweatLife ambassadors mentioned the brand Literally Outside on our private slack channel, we dug into this Chicago-based brand and knew we needed to become friends. Joining us today is Steffan Williams, the Founder and Chief Executive Outsider at Literally Outside! Literally Outside is a lifestyle brand on a mission to empower everyone to feel comfortable exploring the great outdoors. It’s black-owned, operated by two cousins, and supported by a team of family. Literally Outside is one of the few Black-owned outdoor lifestyle companies in the US. That brand has transparent values that you'll hear us talk about on the episode. It's conscious, soulful, accessible, and adventurous. Literally Outside wants to change the narrative of what it looks like to be “outdoorsy” so everyone can feel like they belong in the outdoors. On the episode, we talk about the idea of their slogan, “Outsiders Welcome.” Resources: Find Steffan Williams on LinkedInDiscover Literally OutsideFollow Literally Outside on InstagramCollab with Cody HudsonStruggle Inc.Listen to the Episode of How I Built This Featuring Ty Haney that we talked aboutSweatworkingWeek, learn morethe Edge MovieBlack people outsideTortugas hiking clubVery Human SocialFriday Morning Swim Club

To start off the month, we like to touch base as a team and bring whatever we're thinking about to the table. This week, we talked through three big questions: Kelly had a very specific ask for shorts for running. She has a very specific need for shorts that are High waisted, have a brief liner, have a 4 inch inseam, have Storage and come in a neutral color. We didn't have a ton to offer her on that front, so we'd love your help. Dana talked through her co-working needs. She's ready to co-work again and asked for some ideas as to where. As for me? I wanted to know everyone's skincare routine. You'll notice in our resources that we spent a lot of time talking about our favorite brands. We also chatted through a tiny topic: Romcoms. We talked about the best and the worst of the genre as well as some of our favorite movies to rewatch. And a delightful addition: you'll hear from aSweatLife's summer intern Julia who has a lot to say about both skincare and romcoms. References: TracksmithLululemon Align ShortsOn running cloud ultraWorking fromDesk passOutset skin careRare beauty makeupLaneige Lip Sleeping MaskCryo SpoonScratch goods coffee undereyeIndie Lee brightening face washMoonjuice plump jellyIlia lip maskAavrani ITK SkincareCeraVeRose water spray - NOW foods

At aSweatLife, we always say that everything is better with friends. And that's not just to be cute - high quality bonds are the clearest predictor of longevity. Not to be dramatic, but making friends and spending time with them is a matter of life or less life. Maybe you remember, but the past couple of years have been rough from a friendship perspective - you know what I mean. And many people took the pandemic to be an opportunity to reevaluate their surroundings, their happiness, and their living situations. I can't count how many people I know who moved or took off to become digital nomads. Moving can be a challenge from a connection standpoint. Today, on the podcast, I’m speaking to someone today who took what could have been an isolating experience and she made it friendly. Here's what Maggie Umberger said in her article on aSweatLife about making friends during her digital nomad year. “From my time traveling the country over the last year, I learned an unexpected lesson I didn’t set out to receive. When I packed up the car to head west, the itinerary was set for places I’d never been and where I didn’t know a soul. I left thinking this was going to be a journey into isolation. I learned it was a journey — one that’s only just beginning — towards connection." So we talk about why she and her partner took off for adventure and what they learned along the way. Resources: Follow Maggie Umberger Do yoga with Maggie Maggie's challenge to make friends on the road Un-steal-able bike, Fortified The Book about making friends as an adult, You Will Find Your PeopleDemon Copperhead

Stop for a second and ask yourself the following: if you meet a woman who tells you she isn't drinking, do you assume she's pregnant? Don't lie to me. I spent nearly a year as a mostly sober - ok, fine a California-mostly-sober person. I went on Lexipro last May and I liked not feeling anxious and depressed, but I did not enjoy browning out. So, out with the booze and out with the blues. After nearly a year of the pregnant pauses (that's a lazy pun) that followed explaining that I wasn't drinking, I just started saying, "and no, I'm not pregnant." Christina Heiser, whose voice you'll hear on the podcast this week, stopped drinking in December of 2021 and kept it up. She's a journalist, and so, she's observed and written about how it felt, the impact and why she did it. After she penned 5 Things That Happened When I Quit Drinking for a Year, I knew I'd found a kindred spirit. We spend some time on the episode talking about our gluten *stuff* and she and I connected on how easy it is to accidentally eat gluten while you are impaired. And because she is incredibly prepared at all times, Christina also came with her own links and resources. So don't hesitate to dive into her favorite influencers, products and links. References: 5 Things That Happened When I Quit Drinking for a YearBoissonBetter RhodesGhiaHoplarkMondayCleanCoGiesenQuit Like a WomanThe Unexpected Joy of Being SoberDrinking GamesThe Dry Challenge@shestayssober@noboozebabes@joinsoberish@themindfulmocktail

A couple of months ago, I saw the signature microweights on the Omorpho gear for the first time in the background of a workout on Bravo's Summerhouse. I thought, "What's that future-wear?" And then went on with my life. (Yes, I watch Bravo, but I wouldn't call myself a Bravo-holic. Except, please ask me about Scandoval if you see me in the wild.) So when I got my Omorpho G-tight and G-tank for myself, I couldn't fathom how this futuristic athletic apparel weighing in at under 2 pounds could enhance my workout. That is until I wore the outfit to an Interval workout at Studio Three. The treadmill inclines and sprints were decidedly more challenging. So, when I sat down to chat with Stefan Olander - former Nike heavy-hitter and cofounder/CEO of Omorpho - I understood the insight the brand was tapping into. On the episode, I reference the CrossFit workout Murph, which was my point of reference for using a weighted vest to increase intensity. You'll hear Stefan share that a Murph workout was actually a big inspiration for the company. But weighted vests were heavy, and I didn't have any burning desire to add 10 percent of my bodyweight or more to my upper body for a workout. But Omorpho weighs much less than a typical weighted vest and its evenly distributes the weight all over your body in the tanks and tights that I tried. On this week's episode, we dive into the science and the design of Omorpho. References: OmorphoinstagramMurphAweDacher KeltnerSimulated hypergravity study The Omorpho AppThe study that upended what we know about calories and metabolismDr. Huberman and coldWim Hof and coldWhat’s biohacking?

"When nothing is certain, anything is possible." Heidi Zimmer, founder of Wild Rice Retreat said that on this week's episode of the podcast, and I furiously wrote it down. Because even though she was talking about the uncertainty of breaking ground on the project she'd worked on for years in March of 2020, I felt like it applied to absolutely everything. And today, Wild Rice Rice Retreat is thriving on the shores of Bayfield, Wisconsin. With stunning views of Lake Superior (my favorite Great Lake) and access to miles of trails, this shoreline oasis is as much about being in nature as it is about integrating wellness into your life. And its price point - around $300 a night for meals, lodging, and yoga programming - is staggeringly low compared to some of the options available. Heidi's vision is to make wellness travel accessible - and to do it all in the north woods of Wisconsin. Hear all about it on this week's episode! Resources: Wild Rice RetreatFollow Wild Rice Retreat on InstagramHeidi ZimmerThe time I visited Wild Rice RetreatBraiding Sweet GrassMary Rice of Bayfield, Wisconsin and how her memory lives onWild Rice RestaurantDavid Salmela Chequamegon-Nicolet National ForestThe Apostle IslandsUnreasonable HospitalityAweKapha SeasonAyurvedaCryospoon

Every month, we hit the record button as a team to talk about what we're loving, eating, watching, and how we're moving. This week, Head of Community at aSweatLife, Kelly Matkovich; aSweatLife's partner Dana Farber, who runs Moonstone Marketing; and I all brought three things to discuss. Here's what came up: I accidentally gave medical advice three times. Please consult your physician before doing anything I tell Kelly and Dana to do. Resources:Crunchy curls from TJ’sRaspberry shortbread sandwich cookiesTrader joe’s dried pineapple The cut, People working multiple jobs to afford ErehwonThe cut, outsourcing my orgasmCalmDemon CopperheadPineapple StreetP.volveChunky socksErica MarieVuori t-shirtCotopaxi windbreakerJury DutyThe Hoxton’s _workingFromHeyDayA beginner's Guide to Pickleball on aSweatLifeAn entire episode of this podcast about pickleballSeventh heaven tiktok recapsShrinking on Apple TVSuperglue and cuts

April showers are bringing May flowers, we're also seeing running goals on the horizon. That's why we're running with hundreds of ambassadors from across the nation who are training for for a 5k. For some of us, it’s just for the fun of it, for some it’s to get faster, and for others it’s simply to do the thing. It can be easy to think of running shoes as another accessory for your fit-fit (see what I did there), but we know that for runners, shoes are your equipment for your sport. We brought Todd Falker into the digital studio to talk about shoes, innovation and why it matters for running. Todd is fast, and in the course of this conversation, I invited myself to spectate his next trail race. Because how often do you get to watch someone run fast, far and on trails?! References: Todd Falker on Instagram Puma Running innovationYour guide to Running ShoesThe Ice Age Trail 50 in Wisconsin The Cheap Marathon Here you go! Puma runner, Annie Frisbie Puma runner, Hendrich Pfieffer Puma runner, Edna Kiplagat RC Malden The mile high run club Slow AF Run Club The Hansen’s Marathon Method Figure out your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs

As aSweatLife's #GoalForIt running program kicks off, we're bringing together aSweatLife Ambassadors from across the nation to train and run for a 5k. For some of us, it's just for the fun of it, for some it's to get faster, and for others it's simply to do the thing. We always say that everything is better with friends here at aSweatLife. And that especially applies to running. So today on the podcast, we’re talking about community and running. We've brought one of our resident community builders, Nimbe Juarez onto the podcast to talk about why community matters for running, where to find it, and how to create it for yourself. Nimbe has a self-proclaimed, "love-hate relationship" with running, but for her the idea of running with friends keeps her coming back. She organizes a monthly event that she calls "friends-running" to bring an all-paces community together to run. On the episode, we talk about our relationship with running, running groups we admire, and running with donkeys. References: aSweatLife ambassadorsNimbe Juarez on InstagramTORTUGASFamily stylemidway mile chasers3run2Puma runningYour guide to Running ShoesAlexi Pappa's book, BraveyAlexi Pappas wrote the for Runner’s WorldNimbe’s resource on Community, “If you want to go Faster or Farther, Join a Running GroupAftershokz Burro racing in Colorado

It’s the first podcast of the month. We're coming at you to share some things we’re thinking about. We’ll shoot the breeze, share things we love and try to crack each other up. This week, we're catching up on the podcast on food, friendship, fitness and fun. Each of us (Dana, Kelly and I) are bringing two topics we want to chat through to the episode. Here's what we cover: Jeana's #30Daysoffriends challengeResources: Mt lions and what to know about them Good culture cottage cheese, because cottage cheese is trending SplitwiseThe Barbie movie trailerGreta gerwig, the director of BarbieEvan Ross KatzICYMI, Barbie Girl by AquaFun things to do with leftover MatzoP.volveLove is BlindRewatching TV shows is good for your anxiety Pod meets worldSalty Face Tanning Water And our very important list of comfort TV The Office 30 RockTed LassoFriends New Girl Parks and Rec Schitt’s CreekaSweatLife's TikTokCottage Cheese TikTok RecipesThrillist's Cottage Cheese ideas