Mirror Trainer, Rachel Nicks’ Genius Tips Will Motivate You to Sweat

Movement has been a part of Rachel Nicks’ life since she can remember. One of the lead instructors on the Mirror, Nicks is a certified Hatha yoga, barre, T.R.X., kettlebell, Pilates, prenatal and postpartum fitness instructor.  When she is not pushing you to your fitness limits, she is a certified DONA doula, and a working actress on hit shows like “Grey’s Anatomy.” Her fitness philosophy is all about getting up and moving. She wants you to set goals, but celebrate your strengths instead of obsessing over your weaknesses. “Health is wealth,” Nicks shares. “My goal is to empower people to achieve health from the inside out by equipping them with education, tools, and encouragement.” Nicks sits down with us to talk about staying focused while working from home (without childcare!), her go-to healthy meals, fitness motivation, and top tips for managing stress.  How have things changed for you since COVID-19 hit? Well, I have not been back home to New York City, where I live, since March 14th. When COVID hit, my family made the decision to stay with my parents in California — and are here until January. I’m pregnant and we will have our baby here and spend our maternity and paternity leave here. Living with my parents has been a beautiful and challenging experience. Not knowing when I would return home or where I would give birth was overwhelming. After three months, I needed to make a decision to ease my anxiety. Once we decided to stay and get our own place I was able to feel more settled. I have learned to embrace chaos. Trying to balance work while being pregnant and mothering a 2-year-old is not easy. Then, with the added stress of COVID-19, it can truly be all consuming. Having my son is truly helpful because he forces me to live in the moment.  What are some of your tips to stay focused, especially now? Focus with a 2-year-old and pregnancy brain is interesting! I usually try to get work done when my son is napping and when I feel I have the energy or clarity. I have given myself permission to ask for extensions to deadlines and I have embraced that my phone calls may include a toddler meltdown. I accept my circumstances which helps me focus and not be so stressed about how unique and challenging my circumstances are. It also helps to know that we are all dealing with the same thing so I feel a sense of camaraderie and support.   Do you prefer to workout in the morning or evening?  Mornings are my favorite, but I don’t have that luxury anymore because my husband works the first half of the day. So my workouts these days have consisted of baseball, golf, and chasing my son on a scooter.  How often do you exercise, and what’s your workout of choice? I exercise at least 5 times a week. I try to walk daily to get fresh air. I love variety. I find that different disciplines not only challenge me differently physically, but they impact my mind and spirit differently as well. I love HIIT, kickboxing, pilates, barre, and yoga. Only thing that is not my jam is running. I find other ways to get my cardio in. How do you motivate yourself (and your clients!) to workout?  Just get started. The times you don’t feel motivated is when you really need to move. Movement is medicine. It shifts your energy. I am amazed every time I move how quickly I feel my energy shift and it is always a positive shift.  Don’t wait for the perfect time or the perfect mood. Just move. Try different types of workouts. Vary your workouts. Try to find something you enjoy. Don’t just do something because it’s trendy. There are too many options to dread your workout. If you have children, work out with them. It will teach them to move and it’s fun. It won’t necessarily be a “perfect” workout but who cares. For myself, I get moving when I have some energy or to help boost my mood. I usually try to do some yoga to just connect to my body and breath and release tension and stress.  If you had to name your healthy diet, what would you call it?  I believe in wellness. It’s a lifestyle. I believe in eating fresh, local, and real food. I avoid processed foods and cook as much as I can because I can control what I am putting into my body. I pretty much eat everything. I do not believe in cheat days or punishing myself for eating certain things. Food brings me immense joy. I try to not wait to eat until I am starving. I eat 3 meals a day and have little snacks throughout. I control my portions. I don’t fill my plate. I listen to my body. Your body will tell you what it needs if you listen. Pregnant women aren’t the only ones with cravings. Has it been hard to stay on track with your nutrition while in quarantine?  My father is a Cookie Monster so when I was staying with him, staying out of the pantry was tough. In my home, I avoid stocking my fridge or pantry with a lot of tempting snacks. Now that I am in my own space, I have been doing much better with my nutrition. I also just feel so much better when I avoid a bunch of sugar.  Your go-to breakfast?  Yogurt, fruit and granola. Colder seasons I love oatmeal and berries with honey.  What’s the one food you always have in your fridge? I only get to pick one? I always have eggs, apples, yogurt and almond milk. What do you eat before and after a workout? Before a workout, I’ll have a boiled egg and toast or a piece of fruit. I try to have protein after a workout —and hydrate well. Your favorite food indulgence? I love a good

How to Create an Effective At-Home Workout When the Gym Is Off-Limits

By Robin Barrie Kaiden, MS, RD, CDN, NLC Welcome to our new normal. I’m a mom of two young boys in elementary school in Westport, CT, and due to a big outbreak of coronavirus here, we’re pretty much on lockdown. Schools and gyms are closed and restaurants are open for pick up/take out only. RELATED: Should I DIY My Hand Sanitizer for a More Natural Option? So, in addition to being a working mom, I’m now a homeschooler of two kids, a speech and occupational therapist, and a music, art, and Spanish teacher. Let’s not forget all the cooking and cleaning that comes along with feeding two growing boys all day long. One thing that’s keeping me sane (at least a little?!) during this unprecedented time is MOVEMENT. I am super grateful that it’s almost spring, and the weather is allowing us to get outdoors and PLAY. Even while social distancing, there are so many ways to keep moving: Take it outside You can make a walk/run as short and easy or as long and difficult as you like. Listen to a podcast or your favorite playlist, or call a friend or family member if it’s a low-impact workout and you can breathe and speak. Make a walk or run more challenging by going uphill (hello, glutes!). You can even get wild and walk sideways to hit your inner and outer thighs, or stop every five minutes and do a set of jump squats or jumping jacks or punches. Just make sure to wear a great pair of running sneakers and the right number of layers and hydrate, especially if you live in a warmer climate. Own a road or mountain bike? Go for a ride! RELATED: How to Do a Perfect Squat Make it virtual If you currently (or used to) workout with a trainer, I’m almost certain he or she would love to Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime with you for a virtual session. Whether you have access to a full gym or just a yoga mat or an 8-foot square of empty space, it’s enough! You can train your entire body with just your own weight or minimal equipment (dumbbells, hand and ankles weights, mini bands). If live sessions aren’t convenient, your trainer can email you a plan or even send you videos of suggested exercises. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Be playful With kids being home-schooled and the enforcement of social distancing in my town, I’ve been playing with my boys instead of supervising them playing with other kids. We take long walks and bike rides, and I fully run next to my little one while we work on taking off his training wheels. For “recess” and. “P.E.,” we practice archery, play frisbee, soccer, hockey, catch, tag and hide-and-seek. You can even set up a fun obstacle course. Importantly, you can do all of this whether or not you’re a parent. Why not tap into your inner child with a game of hopscotch? Just dance Do you remember the last time you danced at a club or wedding, screaming the lyrics to your favorite song until you were out of breath, you had to take your shoes off, put your hair in a high ponytail, and wipe the dripping mascara from your eyes? How fun was that?!  Good news: That was a workout and you can recreate it at home. Have the kids, your significant other, or your friends (via FaceTime) join you in a dance party. Play musical chairs. Pop on your headphones or blast the music in your room for a private dance party. Take the stairs Maybe you live in an apartment building with a stairwell or a house that has stairs down to a basement and up to a second floor and/or attic. I promise: It’s more fun and challenging than the Stairmaster at your gym. Download an app There are so many apps that give you access to workouts from your phone or computer, and you can even stream them onto your TV. Below are a few favorites of my colleagues, friends, and clients. Many have free trials given the circumstances, so take advantage and discover which ones you enjoy the most. Yoga: Yoga and Meditation by Glo Yoga and Pilates with Kristin McGee (or find her on the Peleton App) Yoga International CrossFlowX with Heidi Kristoffer Barre/Pilates: XTend Barre on Openfit P.volve The Sculpt Society Class variety: Obe Fitness Fit:ON app Tap into social media With many gyms, fitness centers, and studios closed all over the country, many of our favorite instructors and studios are going LIVE to share free workouts on Instagram daily and even multiple times a day. Some favorites: @lifeoflaurenashley has done multiple live mat Pilates workouts while raising money for Food Bank for New York City. @barrys is doing multiple full-body, no equipment 20-minute workouts a day. @pvolve has been offering multiple live workouts daily for sculpting/strength. @amandakloots has a 5-minute dish towel workout on her IGTV with additional 30-minute workouts in her highlights. @liabartha did a full 50+ minute Pilates workout and demonstrates many exercises and mini workouts on her feed. @joyridestudio is doing live spin, strength, and Pilates workouts on Instagram and at forte.fit. @tootsieolan, an NYC and NJ based choreographer, dancer, and yoga instructor just put her signature dance class on her feed and has more to come. I know that was A LOT of information, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It may even be overwhelming right now, as many of us are dealing with a lot of emotions. Take a deep breath (and maybe start with some meditation if you’re new to this!), and know that you can take it one day at a time and start exploring slowly. And if I can help in any way, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions. I will do my best to help you out!   (Featured photo: Shutterstock)