Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman
For those of you who are heavily involved in the sport of paddle boarding, check out this fundraising event for the World Wildlife Fund! The Panda Paddle helps to support the conservation work of WWF and is typically held in San Diego, California. The organizers of the competition stated, “While we're sad to not be there in person with our great community of nature loving paddle enthusiasts, we'd like to recreate the friendly competition with our Virtual Paddle Competition which we can now open up to other paddle sports.” If you’re ready to get out on the water for a good cause, sign up for the Panda Paddle HERE.
This intense endurance challenge focusing on vertical gain is perfect for those who love to continuously push themselves and their physical boundaries. Starting at Level One and moving through to Level Six, you can register, log your vertical gain and attempt to get yourself to “Double Everest”. Run Steep tells us, “Like other virtual races and challenges, you are in control. You get to design your course, choose your location, mix up locations each day as you like, and keep track of your progress through the week. Keep us updated each day and #ShareYourSummit as you trek toward the next level.” Ready to put some elevation gain under your belt? Click HERE to get more info on the Limitless Vertical Challenge.
Offering a 10k, half marathon, 30k and a full marathon option, this virtual race benefitting Blueprints of Love will have you running for a good cause in no time. This virtual race not only facilitates your marathon but it also helps to train and encourage you during the process. If you want to help out a great cause and get in some fitness, check out the virtual race with lots of options HERE.
The ancient 480 mile pilgrimage located in Spain beckons many people of all walks of life and all fitness levels. Unfortunately, the Camino has closed for the year but that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own hiking challenge in your own hometown. Each time you log your miles, it inches you across the map and lets you see, virtually, what you would be seeing if you were on this legendary trail using Google Street View. You’ll also receive virtual postcards which give more information about each location you reach on the trail. This pilgrimage is meant to be an intensely personal experience for each pilgrim so not only is it a fitness challenge but it also serves as a mental journey. Start your Camino today by clicking HERE.
Whether it’s in the local lake or your own backyard pool, this swimming challenge will have you clocking some serious distance. After you register, you choose your distance and you have the month to document and complete your challenge. This virtual competition is perfect for those who are looking for some virtual fitness motivation. Clock your miles HERE.
Whether you’re supporting a fundraiser or attempting to push your own physical boundaries, these virtual fitness challenges will have you motivated and staying fit during a time of many competition cancellations. These challenges are perfect for both beginners who are just getting started on their fitness journey as well as professional athletes who are looking for another sport to add to their repertoire. Join the league of other virtual athletes and start working towards your goal today!
Cover photo courtesy of @the_goodish_traveler
Additional images courtesy of @pandapaddle and @aravaiparunning
About the Author:
Georgia native Tiffany Ammerman is the thru-hiker and CrossFitter behind the travel blog The Goodish Traveler. She spends the majority of her time traveling, eating sushi and searching for hiking trails. When she's not blogging, Ammerman can be found training at CrossFit LaGrange and teaching art to kids.
> > > Stay well.
Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman From local 5ks to hikes in far-off, exotic destinations, many of our planned fitness challenges have been added to the list of canceled activities this year. Initially, it might be disheartening to have to remove these events from your calendar, but don’t lose hope. Many competitions and challenges are […]
LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde and daughter Trinity share the top-five steps to help our community safely return to the gym, as doors begin reopening nationwide. We know how important fitness is to our overall well-being, so please stay safe and stay fit out there. We're all in this together.
We interviewed four FITAID athletes—Kelsey Kiel, Jacob Heppner, Neal Maddox and Jackie Perez—to get their take on how they’ve been staying fit and what key learnings they're taking away from quarantine.
"The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition."
—Ryan Holiday
Especially during difficult times such as these, this #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller has helped those who apply its wisdom to become more successful at whatever they do.
Check out Ryan Holiday's book here or at your local bookstore.
The FITAID Five: Helping Gyms Reopen Safely & Successfully LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde and daughter Trinity share the top-five steps to help our community safely return to the gym, as doors begin reopening nationwide. We know how important fitness is to our overall well-being, so please stay safe and stay fit out there. We’re all […]
Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman
Athletes around the world have become all-too familiar with the struggles of trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise regimen while gyms have been temporarily closed worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharing our quarantine experiences and struggles with our fitness friends has become a major way for us to connect and stay motivated in a time of social distancing.
We interviewed four FITAID athletes—Kelsey Kiel, Jacob Heppner, Neal Maddox and Jackie Perez—to get their take on how they’ve been not only staying fit but also what key learnings they may be taking away from their time in quarantine so far. Here's what they had to say!
FITAID: Isolation coupled with a massive change in our normal day-to-day life can be tough for everyone. What obstacles have you experienced and overcome during quarantine?
Kelsey Kiel: I think one of the biggest things people (including myself) weren't used to when we started this whole quarantine is the "being alone with yourself" thing. I always thought I was independent (I still think that), but being separated from normal life and interactions, you really have to be okay with sitting with yourself (all the thoughts and feelings that come with that). It was a tough thing for me at first, but I've really embraced FEELING and THINKING and BEING. Which is a bit abstract, but I think it's helped me grow.
Jackie Perez: Quarantine has forced me to really take a look at what I rely on for happiness. Total isolation has shown me that I rely on others and events to make me happy or motivate me. I have overcome this by trying to focus on the things that bring joy to me. The things that if they were taken away, they wouldn't take my joy. I've started doing things I would never stop and take the time to do like read and go on walks or journal. Things that don't require much but truly make me happy.
FITAID: As many of our local CrossFit boxes have been closed, what are some ways that you've been keeping fit during quarantine? What is the most unique thing you've done so far for fitness?
Jackie Perez: I created a Running Club because I found myself very unmotivated to workout. It was a huge success and had over 500 people sign up. I thrive on community so I created one where we all pushed each other and kept each other accountable. Nothing replaces the community vibe of being at the gym, but we must adapt to the current situation instead of letting it control us.
Neal Maddox: I tend to go for bike rides a lot. I put together a home gym so I am able to train still.
FITAID: Staying positive and tuning in to our emotions have been very important lately. How have you been staying present, positive and connected?
Jacob Heppner: For those of you that know me you know I'm already a super positive and connected person! One thing I recently did during the quarantine period was to start Fitness Related Awesome News (FRAN) which shares positive and uplifting news from around the globe in the fitness space!
Kelsey Kiel: I've been doing a lot of self work and reading and writing. It's also been helpful to have people around me (not necessarily physically, haha) who have been there—FaceTiming, phone calling, and connecting that way. My dog also helps me stay positive because he's so dang cute.
FITAID: Describe how you've been focusing on nutritional wellness during this time. What have been some of your favorite healthy dishes you've made during quarantine?
Kelsey Kiel: I track my macros regularly, and I recognized after a few weeks that nutrition and food is something I can control, so it actually helped me feel a sense of normalcy to continue to count and track my macros and eat the normal, healthy and tasty things I normally would.
Jacob Heppner: I've actually spent a lot of time focusing on my nutritional wellness and realized that so many others need that help and need accountability! So I recently started "Functional Eating" which is a nutrition company with a 1-on-1 coach, the same coaches I use for my diet and nutrition for competing at the Games. Our main focus is giving every person that accountability and relationship instead of just a plain ol' diet template that doesn't keep you accountable!
FITAID: What advice do you have for other athletes during quarantine? What have you personally taken away from this experience?
Neal Maddox: Advice I could give is this: get off social media and pick up a book. I have been basically going back to school and gathering as much knowledge as possible. The reason is because I want to come out of this pandemic a better person and great coach for my clients.
Jackie Perez: The best advice I can give is to only focus on what you can control. See opportunity in the situation that will help you grow. It's a great time to get back to the fundamentals and make them bullet proof. We won't have this kind of time to rebuild from square one again so focus on the basics and get really good at them so when things go back to normal, we can continue to build.
This experience has shown me just how important it is to control our thoughts. This can either be the biggest tragedy we have had to deal with or an opportunity for growth in areas of our lives we have ignored because we were too busy.
As Jackie Perez mentioned in her interview, “Nothing replaces the community vibe of being at the gym, but we must adapt to the current situation instead of letting it control us.”
While it can be easy to lament the temporary closing of your local gym, remember that everyone—even professional athletes—are going through the same experience, and with that knowledge we can move forward together towards a positive and healthy future.
All images are the property of respective athlete and FITAID, all rights reserved.
About the Author:
Georgia native Tiffany Ammerman is the thru-hiker and CrossFitter behind the travel blog The Goodish Traveler. She spends the majority of her time traveling, eating sushi and searching for hiking trails. When she's not blogging, Ammerman can be found training at CrossFit LaGrange and teaching art to kids.
> > > Stay well.
Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman Athletes around the world have become all-too familiar with the struggles of trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise regimen while gyms have been temporarily closed worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharing our quarantine experiences and struggles with our fitness friends has become a major way for […]
This Tuesday, social media is providing humanity with a rare opportunity to come together, listen and empower the voices of those who have been silenced for too long. We're here, we're muted, and we're listening.
"We must remain optimistic for our children, for the future. Love is always the answer."
—Aaron Hinde
The powerful words of landmark speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
#BlackoutTuesday This Tuesday, social media is providing humanity with a rare opportunity to come together, listen and empower the voices of those who have been silenced for too long. We’re here, we’re muted, and we’re listening. Please consider joining the movement. A Reminder to Those in Sports: Use Your Platform Wisely During this time of […]
The New York Times recently released their top recommendations to help gyms in the U.S. reopen successfully this summer. LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde and his daughter Trinity share the FITAID FIVE with their community. Knowing how important fitness is to our mental and physical health and overall well-being, please stay safe and stay fit out there. We're in this together!
> > > Stay well.
The New York Times recently released their top recommendations to help gyms in the U.S. reopen successfully this summer. LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde and his daughter Trinity share the FITAID FIVE with their community. Knowing how important fitness is to our mental and physical health and overall well-being, please stay safe and stay fit out […]
Listen to the full podcast episode here.
Life-coach guru Brendon Burchard shares his 10 proven principles and practices to help you combat the stress and fear of this chaotic time.
"If everything is hunky-dory in life, if everything's just totally easy and kosher and smooth sailing, you never change your behavior. Why would you? So there's no growth. But when you have obstacles that force you to grow and force you to deal with challenging situations, you should get excited. Because I guarantee those are going to be opportunities for growth in your life."
—Aaron Hinde
Good Housekeeping polled six mental health professionals and asked them to share some must-read recommendations for those struggling with breaking the cycle of anxiety in their life.
Mastering Your Mindset for Business In this episode of Thrive On Life, Aaron Hinde teaches us key mindset lessons he learned on his journey from bankruptcy to scaling a multi-million dollar company. Plus, we’ll uncover some practical tips on how to better communicate with your partner, attract the right people for your brand, and how to […]
Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman
Are you finding it difficult or frustrating to get a sweat session in without access to your normal workout equipment? With so many of us now finding ourselves doing nearly everything from home, we’re longing for the days when attending a HIIT, yoga, CrossFit, dance or spin class was the norm in our daily routine.
Photos of epic and creative home/garage gyms are popping up everywhere, as we adjust to our new-found quarantine lifestyle. To help you stay fit during SIP, we've curated a list of five different types of fun and effective workouts that will get you sweating with little (or no) equipment. Bonus: if you’re missing your workout buddies, you can easily do these circuits over Zoom/FaceTimeⓇ with a friend.
Grab your water bottle, some tunes, a virtual friend, and get ready for some simple at-home workouts that will get both your heart rate and mood boosted!
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) has become popular among those who are looking for a heart-pumping workout often using just your bodyweight combined with high reps.
Check out this HIIT workout you can try at home, repeat the circuit 3-4 times:
20 Speed Skaters
10 Air Squats
10 Squat Jumps
30 Mountain Climbers
10 Sit-Ups
10 Seated Ab Tucks
10 Push-Ups
10 Burpees
10 Pulse Lunges (per leg)
10 Glute Bridges
Max. Plank Hold
HIIT workout courtesy of @healthy_bree
There are many subsets of yoga, from hot yoga to Bikram to Ashtanga Vinyasa and more! Some yoga flows can be meditative, slow and peaceful while others will send your heart rate soaring or have you completely inverted.
Check out these sans-equipment home yoga sequences. Repeat each exercise for 15 reps, complete 3-4 rounds:
Downward Dog to Upward Dog
Knee Hover to Downward Dog
Knee Hover + knee-to-shoulder taps
Handstand Tuck Jump
Hand Plank to Forearm Plank (with alternating knee hovers)
Yoga workout courtesy of @fitveganyogi
Cardio is typically defined as any sort of workout that increases your heart rate. Whether that is running, climbing stairs, swimming or high-volume body movements, it is guaranteed to spike your heart rate and get you sweating.
Check out this spicy at-home cardio circuit, try repeating the circuit 4-5 times:
1:00 Skaters
0:15 Run, turnaround, then 0:15 Run back
1:00 Squat Jumps
0:30 Run, turnaround, then 0:30 Run back
1:00 Burpees
0:45 Run, turnaround, then 0:45 Run back
1:00 Jumping Jacks
Cardio workout courtesy of @gomadtfitnesstoledo
Workouts incorporating various dance movements have become a fitness trend that has cultivated a huge following. From barre to ballroom dancing to Buti yoga, there are many dance-infused fitness routines for you to explore, even from home.
Give this at-home dance circuit a go, repeat 3-4 times:
10 Passé Jump Step Touch
10 Squat Jump Twist
10 Tricep Tap Clap Plank
10 Plank Jack Knee Crunch
Dance workout courtesy of @sequinjillian and @carbon38
If you’re wanting to get some strength training in but don’t have any dumbbells or barbells on hand, we’ve got you covered. During this time, getting creative is key! Please feel free to adjust the movements for whatever equipment you have, and always be safe.*
Here’s an upper-body strength circuit that uses items you can easily find lying around your home! Aim for quality reps and complete the circuit 2 times:
5 Single-Arm Shoulder Lifts with a weighted/full backpack (5x per side)
5 Single-Arm Fly with a weighted/full backpack (5x per side)
5 Shoulder Lifts with a heavy box/bag
0:30 Overhead Hold with a heavy box/bag
5 Arm Raises with a heavy box/bag
5 Single-Shoulder Press with a milk jug/bottle (5x per side)
5 Around-the-Worlds with a broom handle/stick
5 Tricep Extensions with a milk jug/bottle
Strength workout courtesy of @dina_homeworkouts
Hopefully, these at-home workouts will help get you motivated and moving. But, like all things during this time, please don’t let failure or missed workouts become a point of shame—remember that your mental health is equally important right now. So if you find yourself getting more frustrated than fit, just give yourself a break for the day, go for a walk, then get back to it tomorrow. Utilize this unique time to explore different types of workouts and just have fun moving your body today!
*Please always consult a physician before starting any exercise regimen.
Photos courtesy of: @healthy_bree and @meganashleyfitness
About the Author:
Georgia native Tiffany Ammerman is the thru-hiker and CrossFitter behind the travel blog The Goodish Traveler. She spends the majority of her time traveling, eating sushi and searching for hiking trails. When she's not blogging, Ammerman can be found training at CrossFit LaGrange and teaching art to kids.
> > > Stay well.
Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman Is social distancing putting a cramp in your fitness regimen? Are you finding it difficult or frustrating to get a sweat session in without access to your normal workout equipment? With so many of us now finding ourselves doing nearly everything from home, we’re longing for the days when […]
This Mother's Day, LIFEAID is launching Mothers of Fitness, a docuseries and an inclusive online community to help support, inspire and motivate moms worldwide to lead healthy, active lifestyles.
Join us as we experience fit moms tackling motherhood—from the laughter to the tears, juggling workouts between feedings & diapers, and everything in between! You'll get an inside look at the daily lives of women who have taken on the biggest job of all: being a mom. Mothers of Fitness (MoF) proves that being a strong mom is so much more than just fitness.
"Here's to strong women.
May we know them.
May we be them.
May we raise them."
Watch for top athletes and everyday mamas featured in upcoming episodes of the Mothers of Fitness docuseries, with new episodes airing each week. Some of the Mothers of Fitness currently featured include:
Mothers everywhere are now invited to join the online MoF community on Facebook, a place for moms to come together, support and build each other up. After all, we are stronger as women when we stand united. So tell a mom you love and come get inspired, share advice with fellow moms, find fitness tips, discover healthy recipes, workout virtually together, laugh or cry—we're here for it all.
The Mothers of Fitness Facebook group will also feature partnerships with brands moms love, giveaways, online events, live Q&A sessions, discounts for MoF members, fresh content, and other fun ways to get involved.
“As a mother, it is often hard to find time to dedicate to yourself. With MoF, we want to provide an inclusive community that will be a platform of inspiration and motivation for busy moms,” says Emily Sommariva, LIFEAID CMO and mother of one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Luna. “We are excited to be bringing top notch, heartfelt content through articles, amazing moderators and our MoF docuseries. We've gotta stick together!”
Here's a sneak peek of our upcoming Mothers of Fitness docuseries, launching this Mother's Day!
Interested in submitting content or becoming a moderator for Mothers of Fitness? Please email us at: mothers@lifeaidbevco.com
Not a mom? Share this with a mother who inspires you.
Proudly brought to you by LIFEAID Beverage Company
> > > Stay strong, mamas.
If you think fitness is hard enough, try adding motherhood! This Mother’s Day, LIFEAID is launching Mothers of Fitness, a docuseries and an inclusive online community to help support, inspire and motivate moms worldwide to lead healthy, active lifestyles. Join us as we experience fit moms tackling motherhood—from the laughter to the tears, juggling workouts […]
If you think fitness is hard, try adding motherhood! This Mother's Day, LIFEAID is launching a new docuseries called Mothers of Fitness, sharing the epic journey of fit moms tackling motherhood. Join the Facebook group to get inspired, discover life hacks and fitness tips, and share with a fit mom who inspires you.
Learn more about Mothers of Fitness here.
On this episode of The Unbreakables Podcast, LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde shares his entrepreneurial insights about how he took FITAID from humble beginnings to becoming the #1 Workout Recovery Drink in America.
"Stop waiting. Motivation comes from momentum—from ambition coupled with real effort. Inspiration strikes while striving, not hoping."
—Brendon Burchard
Calling all gym owners! Want the inside scoop on everything from
LIFEAID and HyperIce have teamed up to save you over $50-$300 on percussion technology products. Shop their special offers now and save big on the products you and your members need to optimize your recovery!
Mothers of Fitness If you think fitness is hard, try adding motherhood! This Mother’s Day, LIFEAID is launching a new docuseries called Mothers of Fitness, sharing the epic journey of fit moms tackling motherhood. Join the Facebook group to get inspired, discover life hacks and fitness tips, and share with a fit mom who inspires you. Learn more […]
