Look Wiser, Not Older

Wiser Not Older

 Let’s not give away our age here, let’s just say that our body is sometimes “feeling” older.  Some days are more difficult than others, you feel stiff and a little achy?   Others, your Starbucks Barista tells you that you "look" VERY tired, you exhale deeply, smile as sweetly as you can and take your free sympathy coffee.  These are our dancer tricks to have you feeling AND looking younger in no time! 

Feeling

We are ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE MAX!

There are some simple tricks to keep your body feeling younger.  For example, if you just took a Ballerina Bum class, hydrate!  Muscles become inflamed when you are dehydrated or work them very hard.  They need H2O to recover. Take your vitamins and eat right!  Schedule a diet consultation with MaZi (email mazidancefitness@gmail.com).  Take time to stretch further after class.  Ask us about the magical foam roller!  

DRINK ME

"I would recommend staying hydrated, gently stretching your muscles, rolling out with a foam roller, Epson salt baths, 500mg of magnesium, a post workout meal that contains lots of antioxidants... berries, veggies, etc.. and some good protein." - Dr. Ponteralli, Windy City Wellness 



If you just came back from a long weekend or are new to a class, do level 1 or 2, don’t go deeper especially if you start feeling tightness in your back.   Learn to feel the correct muscles working.  For example, if you feel the top of your thighs or hip flexors burning during ab work while on your back, go back to level 1.  Don't tune out mentally during class, make time to ask questions after class.  There are ways to modify to give you YOUR best workout, let us help you get your personal best results, feel amazing the days to follow.

Looking:

We don’t look older, we are just tired but no one has to know.  If we weren’t so good at what we do, we would probably get our full 8 hours of sleep, right?

The tricks ...

PM Face:

* Exfoliate - get rid of dead cells, help your face cream do it's job

* Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize! 

* Place refrigerated tea bags for 20min or Preparation H under your eyes to deal with puffiness

AM Face:
* Wash your face with cold water

* Buy foundation a hint lighter than your skin and lightly cover up dark areas around your eyes and lips, it takes 2 seconds! 

* Highlight your brow bones with powder or off white matt shadow, and your eyelids with glimmer, it's ok to use your fingers.  We like light gold by Sugar & Spice, nothing too overwhelming for daytime! 

* Wear powder that matches your natural glow after BBB on cheeks & lips! We swear by Nars "Orgasm".
* Wear voluminous rich mascara!
* Dancers look younger because they're always in the studio vs. the beach. IF you are going out in the sun ... USE SPF, the sun will age you in a hurry! 

 Lancome Dual Finish Powder works like a dream.

Final Trick ...


Don’t wrinkle your forehead during BBB. 






Please include YOUR tips below:




-Ma

Meet Marissa!

Marissa started taking classes at MaZi, on our second month of being open! She's gone through our rigorous Ballerina Bum Training program and is now teaching Mondays at 7 PM. Her dance and ice skating background come through, as does her energy and attention to detail. A multi-talented beauty, she's also attending University of Chicago's Graduate School of Social Service Administration starting in the Fall!

Marissa!

How do you relax?
Putting on some music and cooking up something delicious is always relaxing for me.

How do you rev up?
Ziba's world famous Zumba class, of course! (Awww, thanks!)

What fashion item can you not live without?
Well I'm not sure if "fleece" can really be called a fashion item, but it sure is something I cannot live without. Mmmmm so cozy.

Go to healthy snack?
Well, I'm a fruit lover, so that is always a go to for me. Add in some crackers and cheese for a little bit of protein and I'm all set.

Fave indulgence?
Anything with chocolate. If anyone knows what "Graeters" ice cream is, I'm sure you'll agree that this is the ultimate indulgence.

What do you like about teaching at MaZi!?
What originally attracted me to MaZi was not only the wonderful classes, but also the atmosphere and sense of community you feel from the moment you walk in. I love teaching at MaZi because it is a way to bring people together in a space of encouragement and accomplishment. This is incredibly unique. And I feel lucky to be a part of it.

Song that keeps you going?
"By My Thrill" by The Weepies

Fun fact?
I recently hung upside down while ziplining through the rainforest of Costa Rica!

Your #1 Fitness tip?
Be kind to yourself and to your body. Take breaks when you need to and drink lots of water!

-Zi

MaZi's Summer Reading Picks! Part 1

I devour books and magazines and always look forward to my beach and travel reading, they make delays so much more bearable! Here are some of our recs once you get done with "Hunger Games" and "Fifty Shades of Grey". :)


For your Light Side
Holding on to the Air- Suzanne Farrell
Ever wonder what it would be like to be an artist's muse? Read about this ballerina's journey with the New York City and her relationship with the late George Balanchine. His obsession with her brought her fame, glitz and difficult decisions affecting her love life. See her dance here.


For your Dark Side
Dancing on my Grave- Gelsey Kirkland
This IS the juiciest read ever, and the dark side of the same story of being an artist's muse. She shares her obsessions with reaching physical perfection, her drug binges with Barshynikov (her lover and stage partner), and how she made peace with her otherworldly talent. 

Gelsey Kirkland

For the Heart 
Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy
Finally, Kindles and Nooks makes reading this book accessible. I tried reading this years ago when I was traveling for work, but didn't finish because I couldn't carry it around! Tolstoy's historical novel literally sweeps you away into a different world with timeless insight into the complications of human emotion and social norms. 


For the Pup Mum
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know- Alexandra Horowitz
Ahhhh! This book is like Women are from Venus, Men are from Pluto (or was it Mars?) but for dog owners and their dogs. It really helped me understand Baby Jane(my Australian silky) a lot better and have more patience with her when she goes up and down the street sniffing every pole and corner. Apparently, when dogs urinate they are leaving community postal boards for one another so she's actually socializing. Now I build in extra time during our walks so she can socialize away!

Baby Bumming it!

!!!

For the Body
Primal Body, Primal Mind- Nora Gedgaudas
One of the most comprehensive reads on how to eat based on pure science vs. fads. Diet affects hormone balance, how your body ages, your brain, disease prevention, not to mention weight and this book explains how to optimize those bodily functions with what you eat. 


For Girls Running the World
Cleopatra- A Life- Stacy Schiff
In case you need any inspiration to take over the world, read this! What I loved most about this book was how it details Cleopatra's intelligence, wit, and well......balls, that got her to leading Egypt as a teenage girl and having it flourish under her reign. It is all the more fascinating when you add the layer of love interests and her non-apologetic approach to her personal life. Great interview with the author here.



For the Brain ;)
Marisol prefers doing equations than reading but this is her pick if forced to read words vs numbers.....
"I read Facebook.  I'm not a big reader, but US Weekly is an instant pick-me-up.  It turns out I have some fashion sense and I buy my own toilet paper so I'm still "Down to Earth".  I also read Men's Health so that I can man the grill, carve my six-pack and get ahead at work (their top headliners).  I've read books in the past with just words, no equations but I can't remember the titles of the books or what they were about.  Something with green people and talking animals, I think?" 


She's talking about "Wicked" I believe. Yup, so she's not that huge into reading but we forgive her because she's currently working on writing her first book based on all the characters in her life! Uh oh ;). 


-Zi
"One can never be overdressed or over-educated" - Oscar Wilde

Salsa dance-off with Rick Bayless :)

This is our mother's salsa recipe that she used to watch our grandmother make, it's been in the family forever. It's yummy, healthy, easy to make,  and makes everything taste amazing and can be stored for up to a week! Try it this weekend to bring you back from Margaritaville causalities.


1 lb of jalapenos, stemmed (the smaller the hotter, so you decide!)
2 cups of water
4 small tomatoes
1 finely diced small onion
2 garlic cloves
cilantro bunch
pinch of sea salt

In a medium saucepan, add jalapenos, water, and tomatoes to a boil and boil for 30 minutes until peppers change colors and skin falls off tomatoes. Then let cool. Drain, save 1/4 cup of leftover water.

Next, throw onion, garlic, and cilantro into blender and add drained, cooled peppers and tomatoes along with 1/4 cup of the boiled water. Blend well, add sea salt.

Finally, add everything back to saucepan, coat with 1/4 tablespoon of olive oil and bring to boil for a minute. It's done and now you have yummy salsa verde that will hold you over until you can get into Frontera Grill.

Caution: When handling jalepenos, please note that washing your hands is NOT enough, the burn stays there for hours. So don't handle your contact lenses if you wear them. I learned that the hard way!

-Zi

Meet Dorian!

So Dorian is our wunderkind , a breath of fresh air. His classes make you fly and have you feel like you were born a dancer, a hip hop artist even. He is classically trained in various dance techniques including ballet, jazz, modern, and hip hop. He is ONE to watch, learn a bit about him! 

How do you relax?

-Easy! A couple of ballet bar combinations to a series of Adele songs, bliss! Stretching the muscles and expanding the mind.

How do you rev up?

-Loud music! I recommend everyone find a theme song, you can't help but feel energized when your anthem is blaring. 

What fashion item can you not live without?

-Cut up T-Shirts! 

Go to healthy snack?

-A banana and a slice of toast with Nutella (Yum!).

Fave indulgence?

-I'm a total gamer! Modern Warfare 3 on the Playstation is my addiction. Who would've guessed?!

What do you like about teaching at MaZi!?

-More like what DON'T I love about teaching at MaZi! Seeing people's appreciation for music and movement and the sharing of such positive energy in class is by far my favorite aspect that MaZi has to offer. The community established in the studio is rewarding even outside of it, and I love that I get to be a part of it. 

Song that keeps you going?

-Faith by Dawn Richard, a song about being able to make it through adversity because there are those who have faith in you :)

Fun fact?

-I have a fond appreciation for writing and reciting poetry. I'd also love to hear from any poets we may have at MaZi! 

#1 Fitness tip?

-When taking your body through dance movements, making sure you give a full range of motion (deep into lunges, far into stretches, and topped with full energy) maximizes your workout and increases your stamina. Sweat is your friend!

xo

-Zi

Ballerina Finishing School Series: Posture

Stand up straight! You've heard it before...... But why should you bother?

Physiologically speaking, good posture is essential for proper breathing, keeps your spine happy and core engaged. But let's talk about what is more tangible: looking good!

If you stand up straight you will be forever young (poor posture significantly ages you), you will appear leaner and more confident, which is attractive in any situation. Whether you are at a work function, meeting a new people, or out on a first date projecting confidence and presence are key!

The strength classes at MaZi really focus on developing an intuitive posture. All the technical things you work on in class will become second nature and you WILL start carrying yourself differently. We recommend any of the Ballerina Bum classes & Intro to Ballet.


Some of our favorite posture enhancing exercises to do while out and about are:

-Towel-arch stretch: Grab a medium-sized towel and hold both ends, starting a bit wider than shoulder width. Hold the towel out in front of you with your arms outstretched. Now gently swing the the towel over your head going a bit wider if you need to in order to take it all the way behind you creating an arch and bringing it back and forth from back to front. Keep breathing, try to lengthen your neck and open your chest. Try doing this about 10 times each way and you will really feel the stretch throughout your upper body creating length.

- Discreet standing abs: Anytime you are standing or sitting, think about opening your chest, drawing your shoulders into your back, lengthening your neck from the back and pulling your abs in and up. Play around with the counter activation in your muscles and think of continuously spiraling upwards from your core. If you do this correctly, your abs will start get achy as when you do an ab series and you will instantly start breathing better. Better breathing is underrated, but you will find that when you breathe properly you release tension, feel more alert & it's helps your metabolism (oxygen is THE key in burning calories as it converts them into energy).

-Zi

Protect your Pretty Face!

So we all try to protect our face in Ballerina Fight Club, but recently Cassie, a dear MaZi dancer, asked us how we keep our faces clear despite working out as much as we do and we have to say we were a bit surprised because we do breakout but thought it was a great question!

Oily skin -Zi

I have oily skin so what has worked best for me is to wash my face BEFORE I sweat all over it. Then after class, I just rinse it with cold water but don't wash it with soap again so that I don't over dry and send signals to my oil glands that they need to go into overdrive and produce more oil. I do this in addition to cleansing it in the AM and PM.

Cleansers that have really worked for me are: Clinque's face soap $12 (mild formula in winter, and oily formula in summer) or Biore's 4 in 1 detoxifying cleanser $8.  

Since it's not convenient to carry your cleanser all the time, some great options for cleansing before your work-out are:
Amore Pacific Treatment Cleansing Tissues $40
Olivella Cleansing Tissues-$7

Dry skin- Ma
I started breaking out recently and therefore washed my face more but my issues only got worse.  I commented my concerns to Jenn Dies form Golden Girl Chicago and she suggested aloe,  and Ceravae to balance out my skin’s natural pH balance.  I feel it has significantly helped thus far, and my breakouts are under control.
Since my skin gets so dry in cold weather, I needed something that would gently cleanse and hold my skin-nourishing oils.  I was cleaning my skin with harsh chemicals that were drying it even more causing my skin to produce too much oil.   Now, I wash my face just once a day with moisturizing products.  We will see how this works in the summer, I might have to switch to Zi's routine.  :)

Whatever type of skin you have, it is always a tricky balance when you are working out regularly and also having to protect it from the sun. Favorites are super light sunscreen: La Mer SPF Protecting Fluid $70 & Neutrogena Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen (up to 110 SPF!) $9.

For personalized skin care questions or concerns we recommend a consultation with Jenn or someone on her team at goldengirlchicago.com, they're amazing!

-Zi & Ma