So I have some exciting news Athleta, a division of Gap Inc will be opening its doors here in Houston on May 9th .
This brand of stylish and flattering active wear is designed by women for active women.
Athleta’s new store will be located in the Town & Country Village where they will carry fitness and lifestyle apparel for your sport such as running, yoga, golf as well as they carry accessories and footwear plus a lot more.
I had the opportunity to interview Tess Roering, Athleta’s VP of Marketing. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
When and by whom was Athleta started?
Athleta was founded in 1998 in Sonoma County as a catalog business and was acquired by Gap Inc. in September of 2008; it is now one of the company’s five brands and is headquartered in Petaluma, Calif. Athleta sells direct through a consumer catalog, online through www.Athleta.com, and now through 12 stores across the country.
What was/is the inspiration behind the brand?
Athleta’s mission is to celebrate and serve women athletes of all levels. Our unique breadth of product designed by and for female athletes offers both strength and beauty for every athletic pursuit, from running to swimming to skiing to biking and everything in between. We use technical fabrications and unique designs targeted at women athletes who want high performance in the activity, and incorporate meaningful details – reflective designs on flicker points, hidden pockets with locking zippers, thumb holes, quick drying fabrics, and more. Athleta combines that with beautiful, feminine designs that make women look and feel beautiful.
Why did Athleta decide to open a Houston location?
For years our customers have been telling us they want a place where they can touch and feel – and try on – our beautiful performance and lifestyle products. The store will provide an opportunity for our Houston customers to do just that, as well as connect with and be inspired by other women athletes. As with other markets, we listened to our amazing existing catalog and online customers to help us pinpoint a location nearest them. We are thrilled to be making our Texas debut by opening in Houston, one of our most saturated customer markets. Having a store in Houston will not only reach our existing customers but also expose new customers to Athleta.
How does Athleta plan on becoming involved with the community?
We are a national partner of Girls on the Run – a national non-profit prevention program that encourages pre-teen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running – and will leverage our stores, in addition to national support, to provide additional assistance to the organization’s local chapters. In fact, in celebration of our Houston store opening, we’re making a donation to the Houston chapter of Girls on the Run and will be working locally to build awareness of this terrific program and helping them to recruit volunteers. While our first month or so we plan to focus on making sure our customers have the best experience in our store, we plan to partner with our customers to identify where and how they would like us to get involved.
Will you have local ambassadors?
We definitely love to partner with local fitness enthusiasts to share the Athleta culture and to in turn learn what the local community is interested in. We also offer a discount to fitness professionals and have an Athleta Sponsored Athlete program that is granted to women around the country on a yearly basis. This program celebrates the powerful life force and athletic accomplishments of a select group of women that embody the essence of Power to the She.
Will Athleta offer free classes occasionally?
Our Town & Country Village store will offer a variety of free fitness classes throughout the month. These classes may include yoga, Pilates, Zumba, or a run club. Each store offers a different, localized class schedule. To the get latest information, visit our store page on www.athleta.com/stores .
How can I as a Pilates Instructor/Personal Trainer help to promote the new store?
Some of the opportunities within our stores include teaching classes, receiving our fitness pro discount and trying out our latest products, or hosting a private shopping event with clients and friends. We encourage you to meet with the store’s General Manager and Customer Experience Lead to see what needs they may have out in the community. They’re always interested in getting to know trainers and instructors as it’s these connections that help to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our customers.
Here are just a few pieces from the collection. Go check them out and spread the word. This is a fantastic brand.
This lotion smells so good I got both, I had a coupon though so I got one free. If you have not been to Bath and Body Works lately they have a lot of new scents.
Ok we have all heard how bad stress is for you so when I came across an article from Women’s Health that stated stress in small doses can improve your health, slow down signs of aging and prolong your life I had to read some more because that was news to me.
The type of stress they referred to in the article was short bursts of stress that ends quickly, not chronic stress. A study was performed on mice they found that when they experienced short bursts of stress they were better able to fight the flu. Why? According to the article, stress sends your system into repair mode. They compared it to when you are injured, your body hones in on the injured area to repair it, thus building your immune system to protect you from infection. If the stress is minor you are able to deal with it quickly and still have energy left to continue. Who knew?
Being able to relax after a stressful situation is key as this will help your body to heal.
I deal with stress by doing a few things:
1. I exercise daily, which includes running, zumba, pilates, strength training, etc
2. I play card games, for example solitaire
3. Cross word puzzles are a great stress reliever as well
4. An occasional massage
5. Acupuncture
6. Tetris is great as well, infact the same article mentioned that researchers found that people who experienced traumatic event and then played Tetris were less likely to experience flashbacks.
As active people we sometimes have difficulty finding the “perfect” workout apparel. Over the next few weeks I will be featuring athletic wear from various companies.
These items can be worn by runners, cyclists, Pilates enthusiasts, walkers etc.
First up is ellasport according to their website “At ellasport, we make technical athletic apparel that makes you look and feel amazing”. Who doesn’t want to look amazing when working out. Oh and cute.:)
Here are a few pieces I like:
Chloe Long -Sleeve Tee
The back of the Chloe Long -Sleeve Tee
Stanton Sport Tank
Stanton Sport Tank back view which I love.
We all need a Workout Skirt
Power Capris
Don’t you just love the design on the leg?
Notice their logo? The four petals represent desire, power, strength, and femininity.
You should check out the website, while you are there watch the behind the scenes video of the photoshoot.
The Snake is an advanced exercise ( modifications can always be made) which requires strong torso stability. It strengthens the abdominals and hip flexor, the rotator cuff, latissimus dorsi, as well as develops coordination and control. Perform 3 reps on each side.
The Movement:
Inhale and press the carriage out lowering the hips until the torso is straight and you are looking straight ahead.
Exhale and return to the starting postion by engaging the abdominals.
Reminders:
Keep the shoulders away from the ears, keep the abdominals engaged through out the exercise, do not drop the hips and maintain torso alignment.
* As always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.
March is National Nutrition Month. Include a variety of Fruits and Vegetables in your diet. Eat the rainbow, green,red, yellow,purple,orange, blue,white, tan and brown. Include smoothies and fresh vegetable juices in your diet. Choose organic local produce when you can. Shop seasonally, doing this will ensure you are getting the highest quality and freshest flavor. Try this recipe Raw Kale Salad with Root Vegetables. Choose water as your beverage of choice , nix those sodas.
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”
Audrey Hepburn
How beautiful, don’t you think? What is your favorite quote?
A few days ago I was invited by a fellow blogger Becky her site Tres Chic Bellevue to share some health and fitness tips with her readers. She descibes herself as a reviewer of all-things-chic. Let me know what you think.
We all have days when we are dragging here are a few ideas/tips I have found to be helpful when I lack energy.
1. I will drink 2 ice cold glasses of water.
2. Take a 10-15 walking break.
3. Listen to music.
4. A 20 minute Pilates routine.
5. Deep Breaths
6. Lastly, I will take a “cat nap”. Sometimes all I need is 10-15 minutes.
What are your energy boosting tips?
If you are a meat eater, how about replacing one meal each day with veggies for 3 weeks?
Sitting at a desk all day? How about doing this Desk Routine.
Here are 2 of my favorite products from Burts Bees:
Beeswax Lip Balm
and Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream.
They have a lot of amazing porducts. If you have never tried their products you should, you won’t disappointed and their story is very interesting.
Which products are you liking right now?
Upcoming:
Exercise of the month
A recipe
Exercises for your hands.
Pilates on the Foam Roller ( it’s not just for tight muscles)
I am also taking reader requests, what would you like to see on the site?
