CHERRY CREEK FASHION — Stef In The City: Two Cherry Creek Workouts To Start The Year

Stef in the City is a monthly column by Stefanie Jones. Stefanie moved from London to be a co-host of the nationally syndicated TV show Daily Blast Live which films in Denver. Starting in 2012, Stefanie was the host of Fashion One Television, an international channel focusing on beauty, glamour, style, luxury, and viewed in more than 120 countries worldwide. A regular correspondent for international fashion weeks and at red carpet events around the world, Stefanie used her VIP access to report on some of the industry’s most exclusive parties. She has interviewed fashion’s most well-known insiders, including Anna Wintour. Every issue, Stef will share her fashion and beauty insider tips with our readers.

The new year is a time of new beginnings, fresh starts, and creating goals for the next 365 days. It's also a time to reflect on all you’ve accomplished the previous year - I’m sure you have all excelled in 2019 my Darlings, but let’s be frank, I’m sure I’m not alone in looking back at the past few weeks of over-indulgence and thinking that extra block of brie in Paris may not have been the best idea after all.

We all know that the holiday season comes with a ton of celebrating, work parties, indulgence and maybe, just a little too much champagne (I’m sure I’m not just speaking for myself there!) I mean if you didn’t overindulge slightly was it even Christmas?!? However, as the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s eve, we do all contemplate our goals for the new year and with my waistband tightening, I’m now thinking about how to shift those few extra pounds that I’ve gained and to re-focus on taking care of myself. One of the most common goals on many people’s resolution lists is getting into shape. I’m ready Darlings, ready to step away from the brie and I am leaning towards picking up a dumbbell or two.

Staying on top of your fitness is crucial for your mind, body, and soul and is hands down the best way to relieve stress. I decided to try two new workouts here in Cherry Creek to give some fitness inspiration and to encourage you all to try something new this year.

I headed to AKT in Cherry Creek to try out a dance class to get me in the mood for fitness. I've always adored dancing and thought if anything can get me out of bed on an early Sunday morning this class would be it. Let me tell you - this did NOT disappoint! I was slightly apprehensive at the start of the class, it had been a while since I publicly put on my dancing shoes but upon entering the studio I was made to feel at ease. The instructor really built my confidence and the women in the class were so welcoming I had nothing to worry about. The studio itself was sleek, modern and made me feel like I was in a Pussycat Doll music video. The music choices were fantastic and the AKT slogan of sweat, dance, burn couldn’t be more spot on. I hadn't laughed, sweated or had so much fun during a workout in a seriously long time. I learned an entire dance routine in the 60-minute class and left feeling empowered and ready to face the day. If you are looking for a way to have fun, make new friends and love to dance, this is for you.

The second class is one I have had my eye on for a while, but, I’ll be honest - it's a class I was petrified of. I’d seen the development of Rise Nation as it’s close to where I live and had a google to gauge what to expect. There’s no other way of saying this other than it looks terrifying. I decided that it was now or never and with the promise of burning hundreds of calories in 30 minutes it just sounded too good to be true. Upon walking into the vertical climbing studio, I had to pinch myself - it looked like some sort of fancy space ship! Colorful lights glowed above me whilst the rest of the studio was dark like a night club. Perfect, maybe I could get away with my awful cardio skills and die slowly in peace with no one being able to see me. The instructor taking the class was unreal. Seriously, she made me feel so welcomed and had the sunniest disposition, maybe I could do this after all?! I climbed up onto the VersaClimber and decided to just go for it. Truth be told, I loved it. The time flew by, I was thrilled with the 430 calories I burnt and had a blast. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

While it’s easy to set New Year's resolutions to get fit, it can be terribly hard to keep it up after a few months I decided to write a few pointers to keep us all on track….

Outline your goals: Do you want to lose weight, tone up, or train for a marathon? Deciding what you want to accomplish physically in the next year is the foundation of your plan.
Set a deadline: This is very important, as we can tend to procrastinate or get lazy when we don’t give ourselves a strict timeline for accomplishing our goals. By what date do you want to have started on your new routine? How many pounds do you want to lose in the next 6 months? Decide your start and end date.
Enlist a workout buddy: I find having someone to be accountable to and who has the same goals as myself to be extremely motivating. Not to mention being able to complain to each other when the going gets rough or you need a little pick me up.
Give yourself a break: It’s not realistic to think that you’re going to be perfect all year long. Let's be real, life happens. Don’t be hard on yourself if you slip up – just don’t let it go overboard and get back on track as soon as possible.
Try something new: Adding some fun to your workout regimen can really help you to stay mentally strong. If you get bored it’s that much easier to give up, so take the fun dance class, try the climb – you might even meet some workout buddies! You’ve got this!
Until next time Darlings, stay fabulous and follow me @steffrjones