STAY FIT 305

Yellow Green Farmers Market, the sprawling, 10,000-square-foot weekend market in Hollywood, reopened several weeks ago after having been closed for more than a year.

With the reopening come several significant changes, including some grand plans for the future. Upgrades include the addition of four giant tiki huts that provide shade and seating for visitors to the market, along with live musical entertainment on the new main stage.

Yellow Green Farmers Market general manager Mark Menagh spoke with New Times about the future improvements, including two new spaces that will house a food hall, a retail market, and office space.

Menagh says the food hall, called the Station, will have an industrial feel and house about 30 vendors. Each stall will be equipped with its own sink, storage area, and a cooking area with a ventilation hood.  A fire-suppression system will permit the Station to accommodate deep fryers.

The Nest, an air-conditioned venue on the south side of the market, will be built out with a rustic look and offer office space as well as kiosks for sales of antiques, collectibles, and more.

Menagh says that the heart of Yellow Green remains the original market, where about half the spots are currently occupied.

"A lot of people didn't come back" after the closure, he explains. "We're dealing with small businesses, and people might have simply moved out of town."

Menagh says the goal is to have about 450 vendors — a significant increase from the 350 who rented space pre-COVID. The trick is to make sure the vendors sell a range of items that people want to buy.

"I try to make sure every business here is unique," he explains. "I can't add another cupcake vendor. Anyone can sell cupcakes, but what if you're making, say, a Bundt cake soaked in Jamaican rum with a spiced frosting? That's a product that I would want."

Menagh cites a relatively new vendor — Wicked Bread Co. — as an example of a successful niche business at Yellow Green. "Nobody else at the market will sell you their cinnamon bread or interact with you the way they do," he says of the stand, which opened in 2020 just before the pandemic set in.

Space rental starts at $550 a month for an indoor space and $385 for an outdoor space. There's no lease, so vendors are free to leave if they're not successful — though Menagh very much wants them to be. "I look for entrepreneurs. I want people who have a vision of what they want to sell."

By his count, more than 40 successful businesses got their start in the market. "It's a proving ground," Menagh says.

Right now, the market is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but there are plans to extend the hours until 8 p.m. At that point, Menagh images locals lingering after they shop to relax with a wine or beer from one of the on-premises bars.

"I can't imagine a market like this anywhere else," he adds. The year-round outdoorness of the market is very unique to Florida."

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This originally published in the Miami New Times by Laine Doss and can be found here.

Celebrate International Yoga Day next Monday with a Pop-Up Event by Casa Vinyasa and Ad Astra Co. at Palmer Park. There is an afternoon of festivities planned to recognize the healing and unifying powers of yoga.

There will be a variety of local vendors to shop and connect with, a 45-Minute Power Vinyasa Vibes Class taught by Casa Vinyasa's Co-Owners, Melissa and Lizzy, as well as a 30-minute Yin and Meditation taught by Studio Manager, Cassie. Grab your mats and come along!

The event will take place from 4:00 - 8:00 pm at 6100 Southwest 67th Avenue in South Miami.

Tickets are $5. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Although many of you may have been doing this for years, dry scooping has become a trend on TikTok that is worrying health professionals.

For those who aren't familiar, dry scooping refers to putting a scoop of pre-workout powder directly into your mouth, instead of mixing it with water and drinking as intended. Pre-workout is a supplement made to boost your energy and help with performance in the gym and dry scooping is supposed to amplify those effects.

But according to several TikTok videos and news reports, the practice can endanger people’s health. For instance, one 20-year-old woman went to the hospital with a heart attack after dry scooping, Buzzfeed reported. And Newsweek reported on a fitness influencer who chased four dry scoops with another four scoops mixed with water and went to the ER with dangerously high blood pressure and brain swelling. Another woman appeared to have trouble breathing after dry scooping, according to Newsweek.

Pre-workout powders can contain high concentrations (100mg or more per serving) of caffeine, Anari says, which is about the same as a cup of coffee). That can definitely cause symptoms like jitteriness, an upset stomach, and an elevated heart rate, especially when taken undiluted and/or in greater amounts than directed, Ansari says. In severe excess, “caffeine can definitely be very toxic and very dangerous,” Dr. Johnson-Arbor says.

A caffeine overdose, which causes symptoms such as heart palpitations, chest pain, trouble breathing, and dizziness, can land you in the hospital, Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. Life-threatening caffeine overdoses are more likely to occur and be life threatening in individuals who have underlying heart problems, take medications that cause similar effects, have a low caffeine tolerance, or are also drinking other caffeinated beverages at the same time, Dr. Johnson-Arbor says.

Click here to read the entire article and learn more about why, for most people, the potential risks of dry scooping outweigh the supposed benefits.

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This was originally published on Self.com by Carolyn L. Todd.

THēsis Hotel, a buzzing new destination in Coral Gables, is proud to host a fitness activation at the colorful Paseo De La Riviera courtyard for Global Wellness Day. Open to the public, attendees can participate in a full day of complimentary fitness classes by some of South Florida’s premier fitness studios.

This feel-good wellness day will begin at 9 a.m. with a 45-minute Bootcamp brought to you by Burn Boot Camp. This transformative class is a 45-minute cardio and strength workout that will leave participants feeling stronger and more confident in all aspects of life.

At 10 a.m. Green Monkey Yoga will host an hour-long yoga flow. Green Monkey Yoga is a global movement that empowers and inspires wellness enthusiasts through a variety of classes led by experienced instructors.

Finally, at 11 a.m. there will be a sound bowl meditation led by wellness expert Annie Vazquez of Annie the Alchemist. The use of sound bowls creates vibrations that can ease one's emotions. She will guide guests on a meditation journey through major energy centers, clearing and resetting the energetic body to harmony. Participants will leave feeling rested and refreshed, connected to a deeper inner intelligence and calmness. Each meditation experience is designed to assist participants in working with the energy of that specific moon cycle period.

Guests will be treated with delicious refreshments made with seasonal and fresh ingredients and spices. Chef Niven Patel who is a James Beard Nominee and was recently named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2020, believes good food is meant to be shared and savored. The hotel's fresh and delicious produce including mangoes, eggplant, avocados, beets, and many other fruits, vegetables, and herbs comes from Chef Patel's two-acre farm, Rancho Patel. Throughout the day there will be exciting giveaways to allow guests to leave with an exciting gift!

The inviting space that Paseo has to offer will ensure good energy throughout the Wellness @ THēsis event and will help create a memorable experience for all participants.  

For more information, head to @thesishotelmiami or register at this link.

Although groups of cyclists along Miami’s busiest streets (i.e., Brickell Avenue, Old Cutler Road) sometimes get a bad “rep,” those who are notoriously irritated by them should finally cut them some slack — they’re literally riding in one of the most scenic cycling destinations in the entire world.

According to a new study by Money Beach, Miami has landed the no. 2 spot on their list of “20 Most Picturesque Cycling Cities in the World,” and you won’t believe the city it beat.

Paris, France. Yes — Miami beat Paris.

Chiang Mai in Thailand landed the no. 1 spot on their list as the world’s best city for a scenic bike ride, as more cycling-related photos are shared per square kilometer there than in any other city in the world. The study revealed that Chiang Mai in northern Thailand provides the most picturesque cycling routes, with “#chiangmaicycling” used on Instagram over 6,000 times alone.

Miami and Paris both landed in the top three.

Their findings state, “Miami, USA and Paris, France followed, with the long beachy rides and street-art adorned roads of Miami also placing it as the best place in the States for anyone looking for a photo-ready bike ride, above Atlanta and Seattle. A stunning 14.3km loop around Kendall Lakes appears to be the most popular route according to Strava users; this scenic circuit takes riders past expansive views of the nearby golf course and is a winner for cyclists of all abilities.”

According to the bicycle insurance company, they looked at more than 350,000 city-specific cycling hashtags on Instagram to discover which city sees the most cyclists sharing their snaps. The results were then weighed against city size for fairness.

Below, find their list of the top 20 most picturesque cycling cities in the world.

The 20 Most Picturesque Cycling Cities in the World:

1. Chiang Mai, Thailand
2. Miami, United States of America
3. Paris, France
4. Beirut, Lebanon
5. Bristol, United Kingdom
6. Cambridge, United Kingdom
7. Barcelona, Spain
8. London, United Kingdom
9. Dublin, Ireland
10. Athens, Greece
11. Amsterdam, Netherlands
12. Copenhagen, Denmark
13. Bath, United Kingdom
14. Florence, Italy
15. Atlanta, United States of America
16. Seattle, United States of America
17. Taipei, Taiwan
18. Warsaw, Poland
19. Berlin, Germany
20. Oxford, United Kingdom
    

For more information on the study, click here.

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This was originally published by Nicole Lopez-Alvar for Local 10 News and can be found here.

Miami will add about three miles of protected bike and scooter lanes on busy downtown corridors as part of a new program partially funded by fees on electric scooters.

Under a plan approved by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners last week, the city will install concrete barriers along the new lanes and add pedestrian ramps to adjacent sidewalks. All pedestrian crossings in the affected area will also be upgraded to maximize visibility.

The roughly $2 million upgrades, construction of which has already started, will be partially funded by $1 million from the city of Miami's micromobility fund. The remainder will be paid for with road impact fees.

Florida is home to some of the country’s most dangerous cities for pedestrians, according to a Smart Growth America report. Critics have dinged Miami for not following through on a 2009 Bicycle Master Plan intended to "transform Miami into a bicycle friendly city," the vast majority of which has not been built.

The recently approved protected lanes will be installed along three miles of downtown streets, covering areas where there is already significant use of scooters and bikes by residents and visitors.

"This is extremely necessary. Miami drivers are not very safe. I’ve ridden a bike, I’ve ridden a scooter in downtown Miami and I feel unsafe on the roads," said Kevin Amézaga, executive director of the mobility group Miami Riders Alliance. "We acknowledge that in downtown Miami, cars cannot be the way we grow, but we need to give people safe alternatives."

The goal is to eventually build an extensive network of micromobility lanes — including bollards, concrete barriers and painted bike boxes — that would connect large parts of downtown, rather than simply adding lanes to a handful of streets, said Carlos Cruz-Casas, assistant director for mobility in the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works. The "proactive" effort, he said, will help create "a more inclusive transportation network" and also further the country’s Vision Zero goals, which seek to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

"While we’re looking back to understand the causes of collisions and crashes, we are also creating the infrastructure to prevent them so that we don’t have to count statistics later on," he said. The department is moving at "a million miles an hour" to revamp the county’s transportation network for safety and sustainability goals, he added.

Miami has seen several changes in micromobility over the past year. The county suspended use of shared vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic, returning them to city streets in October 2020. The fleets were then suspended for a short period around the beginning of 2021 over concerns about underage riders and sidewalk clutter, the Miami Herald reported. The latter pause led to new regulations about sidewalk clutter and distribution of vehicles throughout downtown, as well as new speed limits.

In the summer of 2020, commissioners debated using the micromobility fees to cover projected budget shortfalls because of the coronavirus pandemic, Miami Today News reported. Micromobility supporters, however, argued the money should remain siloed for revamping the long-overdue bike master plan and ultimately the budget deficit was lower than expected.

As scooters have become more popular and established transportation tools in cities, transportation departments around the country are rethinking their infrastructure plans to build dedicated lanes or paths that can accommodate them. Many cities — like Indianapolis, Atlanta and Santa Monica, California, — have required micromobility operators add fees or pay into infrastructure funds to pay for the new construction.

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This was originally published by Jason Plautz on Smart Cities Dive and can be found here.

Houston-based SPAR Boxing Club has chosen Miami Beach for their second location and they invite you in to develop your competitive edge.

‍The experience:

SPAR is a fun, dynamic boxing-inspired workout that uses the challenging sport of boxing and gives you the ability to master a higher level of physical and mental strength. The gym is equipped with heavy bags, a boxing ring, and speed bags.

Try a SPAR 101 class to learn the basics of boxing and focus on perfecting your technique, or take a SPAR Strength class to round out your training regimen with a combination of functional movements, strength training and quality training techniques.

Pierre Russel, owner of SPAR Boxing says, "They come for boxing, it's the energy that keeps them here."

What makes SPAR Boxing unique:

It is a boxing gym focused on helping clients transform through sport science and psychology. Everything they do is based off of the therapeutic benefits of exercise and boxing. They can also customize a program based on an individual's goals and needs.

You should also know:

All that they do is in service to the members and SPAR prides themselves on creating a community that people want to be a part of. Clients get excited for the tough workouts and mental breakthroughs that come with belonging to the gym.

Why members love it:

Members will tell you about SPAR's consistent quality of training in a fun and inclusive environment. Clients feel at home and are always putting in work and focusing on getting results.

The extras:

SPAR is also a full scale gym with numerous strength training equipment, boxing bags, and cardio equipment. Train like a pro and get a complete experience!

How to join in:

SPAR offers drop-in classes, one-on-one personal training, and small group classes. There are a number of different options that can be customized for any budget or fitness goal.

Location: 

They are located at 1624 Washington Ave on Miami Beach. They also have a location in Houston, TX.

Where to find SPAR Boxing Club online:

Instagram: @sparboxing

Website: www.sparboxingclub.com

“One day can change your life” and lucky for you that day is this Saturday, June 12, Global Wellness Day. To celebrate, Carillon Miami Wellness Resort is hosting a day of health, wellness, mindfulness, and fun for the community that is free, and open to the public with registration. 

The day will kick off with a yoga flow led by Miriam “Mimi” Ghandour, Founder of Mimi Yoga, followed by a meditation with Michael Stasko of Om Studies.

Beginning at 10am there will be wellness experiences where you can participate in activities, like B12 shots from The Biostation, along with cupping, pulse diagnosis and ear seeds from Dr. Irina Logman as well as shop the latest from MBalance Store. Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy healthy treats from Pura Vida, Eat Me Guilt Free, Imagine Farms, Nabati and more. Jovē water will keep guests hydrated throughout the day. 

Rounding out the day is a panel talk, Managing Work, Life & Love in 2021 with Dr. Shanequa Fleming, Executive Coach & Life Strategist and Dr. Carolina Pataky, Sex & Relationship Therapist followed by an Aqua Spinning.

Attendees will get a discounted valet rate of $10 per vehicle.

Click here to register!

NUE Life, a Miami startup developing a nextgen mental wellness solution, has raised a $3.3 million seed round.

Investors include a who’s who of new-to-Miami investors, including Jack Abraham of Atomic Ventures, venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, Jon Oringer of Shutterstock and Pareto Holdings, serial entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky, James Bailey and Christina Getty.

NUE Life’s co-founders are Juan Pablo Cappello and Demian Bellumio—two well-known Miami tech entrepreneurs involved in multiple startups over the years -- as well as  Katie Kiernan (Twyla), Kazi (Zayn) Hassan, M.D. and investor Christina Getty. The whole founding team are people of color and women, making the company unique in the alternative medicine space

NUE Life is a public benefit corporation and focused on leveraging emerging technologies to combat the mental wellness crisis and drive better outcomes, said Cappello, CEO. “One out of five women is taking an depressant. Any given day 22 veterans commit suicide, a day, we lose 22 veterans. And we have about a million veterans on disability for PTSD and treatment resistant depression. These are heartbreaking statistics, and we believe that tech can be a force for good.”

Dr. Kazi (Zayn) Hassan, Chief Medical Officer at NUE Life, recognizes that medical providers want to provide better care, however they need support in provider tools and resources to do so. “Many providers who want to help patients with tools like ketamine lack the confidence or support needed. NUEue’s focus is to develop tools for providers and patients to accelerate the adoption of innovative medicines and medical frameworks, and help a growing community of providers deliver high-quality care,” said Dr. Hassan, whose company My Ketamine Home was acquired by NUE Life.

Bellumio, NUE Life’s CTO, drew on his deep experience with AI and graph databases to create a holistic solution. He  formerly worked on graph databases while at both Accenture and at NEORIS and at his own former startups.

“What we're trying to do with this technology is create a companion to our patients for their mental wellness journeys,” Bellumio said. “When people are dealing with different issues, you need to be there all the time and that's what we're creating -- personalized assistance to provide anything that the patient needs on a daily basis -- recommendations for treatment, recommendations for music, recommendations for supplements. So it's about really understanding the patient holistically and we use a framework, a detailed knowledge graph, to understand the physical, the mental and behavioral components of the patient and  accompany them on their daily journey.”

NUE Life operates in California, Texas and Florida, with plans for nationwide expansion. The platform will initially offer at-home ketamine therapy, combined with music therapies and other personalized recommendations through an app, but Cappello said the vision is to expand with other treatments and technologies aimed at attacking the mental wellness crisis.

Bellumio adds, “It's just amazing to have this great cap table of people supporting us and I told Francis [Suarez] yesterday that we need to make Miami the capital of mental wellness.”

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This was originally published on Refresh Miami by Nancy Dahlberg and can be found here.

The Baptist Health Run Clubs Powered by Nike are restarting after a year of pause during the pandemic. Brickell Run Club had their first run in over a year last night. The group will be meeting weekly again on Tuesdays at 7 pm at the Fortune International building at 1300 Brickell Avenue.

In addition to Brickell, there are also run club locations in Kendall, Weston, South Beach, Coral Gables, Homestead, Doral, and West Kendall. For those who want to participate in Global Running Day, the Kendall Run Club is meeting up tonight at 7 pm at the Go Run Running Store.

The Run Club is free and all speeds and paces are welcomed. Runs are typically around 3-3.5 miles and the group meets rain or shine.

Join the 300+ people who participate! Interested runners can fill out the waiver here and receive more information, or head to runclubnetwork.com for more information on all of the local run clubs.

Zumba co-founder and CEO Alberto Perlman spoke with The Miami Herald about the evolution of the dance-fitness craze 20 years later, how it survived the pandemic, and what the next 20 years might look like. Check out an excerpt below and find the full interview here.

‍How has Zumba changed over the past two decades?

The original Zumba class hasn’t changed that much, but what changes is the type of music we use. When we came on the scene, reggaeton did not exist, and as soon as we started hearing these sounds coming out of Puerto Rico, we said, ‘These are perfect for Zumba.’ We were the first ones to bring reggaeton into the mainstream. As music evolves, Zumba evolves — you’re dancing to popular music, and that always keeps you coming back.

How does Zumba compete with new exercise trends on the scene?

Most fitness programs usually live in the space of, ‘We’re better from a calorie-burn perspective, or from a fitness perspective.’ But if you only live in that physical space, someone is going to come along and will build a better mousetrap. Think about the Thighmaster in the ‘90s, or 8 Minute Abs — someone is going to come up with seven-minute abs.

Zumba is similar to yoga in that there is emotion — in yoga you think of zen or flow state. In Zumba we call it F.E.J.: freeing electrifying joy. You get lost in the music, you’re having so much fun that all other thoughts are gone, you’re just there, present in the moment.

And the other piece is the community. In yoga it’s similar as well — there’s a pilgrimage to India, or some sort of yoga shrine. In Zumba, there’s a convention every year, and it’s a magical place. Physical plus emotional plus community is why Zumba is a forever brand.

What is the significance of Miami to the Zumba story?

It’s where we live. It could have only been born here because of the cultural aspect of Miami, the openness to Latin music, Latin influence — Miami is capital of Latin America. Beto’s dream growing up in Cali was to go to Miami. Zumba started when my cousins, my mom, everyone I knew was taking Beto’s class here in Aventura — it wasn’t even called Zumba then, he called it “rhumba-cise.” At that moment something sparked the idea: What if we take this to the world, put it on a VHS tape — this was 2001 — and teach Zumba at home via VHS. What we realized is that the community and class was the true Zumba experience, so we started training instructors, who would come from all over the country and go to Miami and train in Zumba. But Miami is still the root and culture of Zumba. Zumba is Miami.

What will the next 20 years of Zumba look like?

We’re constantly enhancing our technologies to make our instructors more successful. We believe people don’t need another screen in their life. We want them to get together in person, and we don’t want humanity to lose that. Mental health has also come up as a big topic in how Zumba helps — we want to create more moments to help people through any mental health issues.

We’ve also created a new brand, STRONG Nation. It’s a high-intensity training program — but we created a program where the music is scored to the workout. So we create these routines, then create music that completely matches the routines. We want to have an epic feeling, really feeling like a bad-ass. So you’re going to see more STRONG Nation in the years to come.

We also created the Zumba music lab. It’s a production house where we create our own music. We’re working with some of the best writers and producers in the world, and now record labels are coming and saying they want to launch our songs.

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This article was originally published in The Miami Herald by Rob Wile and can be found here.

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As reported by Page Six, J.Lo and Ben Affleck worked out at Anatomy Sunset Harbour today and sources say they were very affectionate.

Anatomy is a notorious fan-favorite for celebrities who visit Miami.

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Check out the full story here.

Sweat in Solidarity is this year's virtual edition of Partner in Health's annual Strides in Solidarity fundraiser. Students from the University of Florida, University of Miami, and the University of South Florida have come together to fundraise to build the Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone. In Sierra Leone, women have a 1 in 20 lifetime risk of dying from a maternal cause.

All donations from the event will go toward PIH to establish the Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE) in rural Kono District, Sierra Leone to provide high-quality care to women and families who need it most, build local health capacity for sustained impact, and create a blueprint for scaling proven interventions in women's health around the world.

Partners In Health (PIH) is a social justice organization driven by the uncompromising belief that everyone, especially those most in need, deserves quality health care. The PIH Engage network of volunteer community organizers is well on its way to raising $100,000 for the MCOE. This amount can ensure crucial diagnostic capacity, including HIV and pre-eclampsia screening, for patients of the MCOE.

PIH has been hosting live, virtual group fitness classes this week, including interval training, hip-hop fitness, Zumba, yoga, and more.

Sweat in Solidarity will be culminating with a virtual 5k on this Saturday, May 22. At that time, all participants will walk or run to demonstrate their solidarity with community health workers who walk each day to serve their patients and their community.

To register for any of the events fill out this Google form or to donate through their fundraising page here.

For biking enthusiasts, the Bike With Mike Weekend has a little bit of everything for every level of cycling.

Pro, semi-pro and leisure cyclists have an opportunity to partake in the inaugural event taking place May 22 and 23. Tamarac City Commissioner Mike Gelin has partnered with Level Up Cycling Movement to host four events of competitive and non-competitive rides through the city.

On Saturday, the first event will feature plenty of star power on the streets with the Tropical Breeze Fondo. Rahsaan Bahati, a 10-time National Cycling Champion, and five-time California State Champion, Charon Smith, will be joined by local and regional professional cyclists for a 60-mile timed ride starting at Tamarac City Hall at 7 a.m.

Immediately following will be a 35-mile ride for amateur and non-competitive cyclists riding through the streets of Tamarac and neighboring cities.

At 9:45 a.m., there will be a 5-mile mass ride in Tamarac designed for all levels of cyclists. Families are encouraged to attend with riders age 8 and older invited. The Broward Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Trust Fund will donate 50 new bicycles and helmets to youth in need.

The final Bike With Mike event will take place at 6:20 a.m. Sunday, May 23. Level Up Cycling Movement is hosting a 50K ride just for women starting at the Tamarac Sports Complex. About 100 riders are expected to participate. The focus of the ride is to encourage cycling for women to achieve good health and fitness. The charity ride will donate part of the proceeds to Women in Distress and the Level Up Cycling Movement. Helmets and masks should be worn during each ride.

Gelin is a big supporter of health and fitness and is an active runner, basketball player and cyclist. He said he is excited about the big weekend coming up.

“I’m an amateur cyclist and have been at this for about a year now,” he said. “This is something I enjoy and think more people should take up the sport. Bikes in South Florida are in demand and people can enjoy the great outdoors and enjoy the good weather. I’ll do the 35-mile event and leave the 60-mile event to the pros who can go at a steady pace of 25 to 28 mph.”

Gelin has a new appreciation for the serious cyclists and professionals out on the streets. Broward County also has the distinction of having the only velodrome in the state at Brian Piccolo Sports Park. The velodrome is used for the development of track cycling.

“A few months ago, I saw Level Up Cycling put on a similar event in Miami and thought this would be a great fit for the city of Tamarac,” he said. “The staff in Tamarac thought it was a great idea and we decided to make it happen. With college scholarships being offered for cyclists, we want to bring more awareness to the sport. We want as many people to come out as possible. It will be a party on the pedals.”

Advance registration and event waivers are required. The registration deadline is Thursday, May 20. Visit tamarac.org/SpecialEvents for more information.

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This was originally published on the Sun Sentinel by Emmett Hall and can be found here.

The Magic City is no stranger to social media. The 305 is full of “Instagrammable” moments, locations, and people. But Miami is welcoming a resident that is taking things to a new level. Meet Gymage, Miami’s most Instagrammable gym.

As you stroll through the picturesque facility, it feels like you are winding your way through an exotic jungle of sorts. Located just off Lincoln Road, Gymage is a 10,000 square foot facility full of premium training equipment and amenities. Not only is the space stocked with everything you could want for a great workout, it sports vibrant colors and moods making it a social media lover’s paradise. Selfie stick holders are located throughout the space for guests to use while training so they can get the perfect shot during their sweat.

Gymage Miami is the second location in the studio’s portfolio, with the first located in Madrid, Spain. The concept puts a focus on the experience, just as much as the workout. Mere blocks away from the beach, guests can bounce back and forth during their day, and grab a refreshing snack at the rooftop part of the space coming later this year.

Gymage Miami is located at 355 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach and is running opening specials. For more information, visit https://gymage.com/

Anatomy, South Florida’s most popular luxury health and wellness facility, opened the doors to its fourth location today in Coconut Grove. Building on their success in Sunset Harbour, the 1 Hotel South Beach, and Midtown Miami, Anatomy’s loyal community of members has allowed for it to be one of the most successful brands throughout South Florida in recent years.

“Community is truly the backbone of Anatomy, and we’ve worked extremely hard to create a life-enriching environment where our members can feel welcomed amongst a supportive group of like-minded individuals,” said Chris Paciello, Anatomy Founder and Co-owner. “During a time that has been difficult for many, we feel now more than ever, our members can benefit greatly from being a part of something with a positive health and wellness focus and are excited to expand these offerings to the Coconut Grove community.”

Influenced by sports performance and the science of strength conditioning, Anatomy provides members and guests a life-enriching community where they can sweat, enhance and recover together. This new location features state-of-the-art cardio and strength equipment and expanded group fitness classes including Yoga, Barre, HIIT, Booty Blast, Aerial Silk, Pilates, Boxing, complimentary access to Tremble reformer classes, as well as a variety of open-air outdoor fitness programming.

“At Anatomy, we’re all about elevating our member’s experience and we couldn’t be more excited to expand our offerings and bring what we consider to be the future of fitness to Coconut Grove,” said Marc Megna, Anatomy Founder and Co-owner. “We can’t wait to welcome the Coconut Grove community into the Anatomy family, while simultaneously molding our personalized Anatomy fitness experience into the neighborhood.“ 

The club also offers Anatomy’s dynamic personal training system, performed by expertly trained Body Architects, designed to help members achieve a top level of fitness. In addition, the innovative space also houses ‘The Sanctuary,’ Anatomy’s signature recovery and regeneration component that includes hot and cold plunges, an infrared sauna, and an immunity healing eucalyptus steam room. Members are encouraged to take advantage of the club’s USA Sports Therapy services, specializing in orthopedic and sports physical therapy, post-surgical rehabilitation, sports chiropractic, chronic pain, and injury prevention. Vitamin IV Lounge by VitaSquad also has a presence on-site, offering intravenous nutritional therapy & B12 shots administered by medical professionals.

Given the family-oriented climate of the neighborhood, as an added amenity, Anatomy will also offer a ‘Kids Club’ program, where members’ children can play under staff supervision while parents can enjoy a carefree workout. Members can also expect expanded retail, healthy food and drink options, plus easily accessible on-site parking.  

“The Anatomy team is thrilled to collaborate with Regatta Harbour on the opening of our newest outpost in Coconut Grove, with its fitness-centric population,” said David Geller, Anatomy’s Chief Operating Officer. “We are excited to join in the revitalization of the area into a lively neighborhood centerpiece, which aligns with Anatomy’s mission to establish integrated health and wellness communities. Together, it is a strong synergy that would not be possible without the support of our local community.”

For more information and membership inquiries please call 786.300.7415 or visit AnatomyFitness.com.

Calling all lovers of the beautiful game and bountiful beers: Your passion for competing on the pitch and your love of pitchers are about to collide all in one utopia.

Miami-based Veza Sur Brewing Company is inviting Miamians to sign up for the first-ever Copa Veza Sur, a 24-team soccer tournament scheduled to take place June 6 through August 8 at Champions Florida Complex & Sports Bar in Miami. The winner of the tournament will be awarded both a grand prize of $2,000 and a pair of season tickets to the Inter Miami CF 2022 season.

That's cool and all, but perhaps you caught the fact that this is a soccer tournament that has been put together by a brewery?

Yes, there will be beer. Lots of it.

Veza Sur has promised to provide "endless beer" at the tournament, including fan favorites such as Mangolandia mango wheat ale, Spanglish Latin lager, and South Coast IPA.

According to Veza Sur co-founder Marshall Hendrickson, the tournament is a celebration of life regaining a form of normalcy (specifically in regard to soccer competition) and the upcoming Copa America, which takes place in Colombia and Argentina from June 13 to July 10.

“We know Miami is ready to celebrate the return of soccer in a big way with Copa America this summer,” Hendrickson tells New Times. “It's been great to see the community starting to play pick-up games again and we want to take it to the next level. Whether you're a soccer pro going for the grand prize or a fan that wants to crush some beers and watch your favorite team on the big screen, Copa Veza Sur has it all.”

In addition to all the adult activities, Veza Sur has ensured Copa Veza Sur will be a family-friendly event. They're encouraging Miamians of all ages to attend and enjoy not only the matches, but an entertainment court that will be set up with different activities for younger guests, including an inflatable human foosball table.

If you and your friends aren't exactly world-beaters on the pitch, have no fear. There will be much more to offer than one grand prize. In addition to endless beers, live music, local DJs, watch parties, and an assortment of other welcome distractions, all players will receive a custom limited-edition jersey and 20 percent off at the brewery for the duration of the tournament.

The matches will be played in a five-on-five format and teams that register must consist of at least seven players, with a maximum of ten. All teams are guaranteed to play a minimum of three games. As an added perk, those who register will be entered in the Copa Veza Sur sweepstakes to win a 75-inch smart TV.

Veza Sur will also host Copa watch parties at its Wynwood brewery. Guests who wear their favorite team’s jerseys will receive discounts on beer; Veza Sur will also debut a soccer-inspired brew: Golazo lime lager.

If you're into soccer, beer, or, hell, inflatable human foosball, the Copa Veza Sur has you covered. Because if there's anything that can make the beautiful game better, it's beer.

Copa Veza Sur. Registration deadline is May 30. Participants must be 21 or older to register. To sign up and find more information, visit copavezasur.com.

*This article was originally published on MiamiNewTimes.com by Ryan Yousefi and can be found here.

WE Movement, short for Women's Empowerment Movement, is hosting their first event Saturday, June 5 at Studio Party Miami in Aventura. It will be an evening of self-care, networking, supporting female entrepreneurs, and building an empowering and supportive community.

The event will include yoga sculpt, aromatherapy meditation, sound bath, a healthy catered meal, and local women vendors. Tickets are $30 if purchased before May 20, or $40 if purchased after.

WE Movement believes in feminine leadership and business. Your body is a sacred vessel to create your thriving business with ease and the goal is to create an atmosphere for connection with fellow women entrepreneurs in the Miami area.

For more information, check out the event page here.

Trainer and co-founder of Sweat, Kayla Itsines, gained a loyal following with her BBG fitness program, which was released in 2012. BBG, which stands for Bikini Body Guide, includes high-intensity workouts that require minimal equipment, are just 28 minutes long, and accessible for people without a gym membership. Now, nearly 10 years after the program launched, Itsines made the decision to retire the name BBG and instead call her program High Intensity with Kayla.

The name change came after some reflection and understanding that the goal of working out isn't just for aesthetics; besides, there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all "bikini body."

"Fitness is not one dimensional and is so much more than physical," Itsines told POPSUGAR. "It provides many mental and emotional benefits to improve your overall health. I want women to better understand the full benefits of exercise, feel empowered through fitness, and focus on training in a way that makes them feel strong and confident both physically and emotionally."

Itsines said they developed the acronym BBG with positive intent when the program launched almost a decade ago, but it no longer represents how she and her followers view health and fitness. As co-founder, she said it was important to change the program and use language that more closely reflects the mission of her community.

"As I approach my 30th birthday and since having my daughter Arna, I've become even more aware of how important it is to use language that is positive and empowering for all women," she said. "I am passionate about doing more and doing better to support women in health and fitness so I want to use language that is universally inspiring."

The workouts and program will still be the same just with a new name. You can find High Intensity With Kayla on the Sweat app. The program includes 92 weeks worth of workouts and after a free trial costs $20 a month. Although Itsines changed the name of her program, she's committed to keeping the same sense of community and helping women reach their health and fitness goals that made BBG so popular.

"I want to encourage women to make their health a priority every day," she said. "Training in a way that makes you feel good, supports your energy levels, and your lifestyle is really important."

This article was originally published on popsugar.com by Christina Stiehl and can be found here.

Peloton announced Wednesday voluntary recalls of both its treadmill machines over safety concerns.

The announcement marked a major reversal of Peloton’s initial reaction and comes after weeks of discussions with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

In a statement, Peloton apologized for not acting more quickly to resolve the issue after reports of one death and dozens of injuries.

“I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+,” CEO John Foley said in a statement Wednesday. “We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize.”

Peloton shares closed the day down nearly 15%, hitting a low not seen since September. That wiped about $4.1 billion from Peloton’s market value.

The company is advising customers who already have either the Tread or Tread+ products to immediately stop using the equipment and contact Peloton for a full refund or other qualified remedies. It added that it is working on a repair that will be offered to treadmill owners in the coming weeks.

The recall affects about 125,000 Tread+ machines and roughly 1,050 Tread products in the U.S.

The CPSC said it has received 18 reports about the touchscreen loosening and six reports of the touchscreen detaching and falling from the Tread. The group had previously warned about Peloton’s Tread+ product last month, after one child died in an incident involving the machine. There were also dozens of other reported injuries.

The regulatory agency said Peloton’s treadmills are designed differently than its peers, with “an unusual belt design that uses individual rigid rubberized slats or treads that are interlocked and ride on a rail.” That’s instead of a thinner, continuous belt. There is also a large gap between the floor and the belt of the Tread+, leaving room for things to wiggle their way under.

The commission in April simultaneously released a graphic video, captured by a home security camera, of a young boy being pulled under one of the Tread+ machines and struggling to free himself.

But Peloton pushed back on the recommended recall at the time, telling customers there was no reason to stop using its treadmills, so long as children and pets were kept out of the area while in use. The company had also recommended a key be used to lock the equipment after each workout.

Peloton said Wednesday it will work with the CPSC to set new industry safety standards for treadmills.

“This recall is the right step — though dangerously delayed,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat representing Connecticut and chair of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. “Peloton unacceptably put consumers at risk, obstructed the CPSC’s investigation and its consumer warnings.”

It’s unclear how much damage Peloton has done to its reputation. The company is known for its at-home cycling classes that have exploded in popularity during the Covid pandemic. It didn’t sell a treadmill until 2018.

The product was first called the Tread but is now known as the Tread+ because Peloton was preparing to begin selling a less expensive version in the United States later this year. The original model costs $4,300.

The smaller, cheaper version is already on sale in the U.K. and it doesn’t include the same rigid slats as the Tread+.

A spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment about Peloton’s plans for the upcoming launch.

While Peloton doesn’t break out sales of its treadmills, research firm Cowen had previously estimated that the Tread+ would represent about 2.2% of unit sales in 2021. That’s out of about 1.63 million stationary bikes and treadmills combined, it said.

Peloton reported in 2020 revenue of $1.8 billion. That’s up from $915 million a year earlier. Peloton is set to report earnings after the market close on Thursday.

“We acknowledge that this recall will likely result in significant near-term one time financial costs and operational disruption, with potential reputational damage,” Truist Securities analyst Youssef Squali said in a note to clients. “Stepping back and looking at the broader picture, however, we believe that the secular growth trends in the home fitness industry remain intact.”

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This was originally published on CNBC.com by Lauren Thomas and can be found here.

Parks across the city of Miami on Monday started reopening gyms, community centers and other indoor facilities that have been closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some outdoor facilities, including water fountains and outdoor picnic areas, can also be used again. You can also play again at Domino Park in Little Havana. And Grapeland Water Park is set to reopen Memorial Day weekend as usual, according to the city.

Monday’s reopening of the city’s Parks and Recreation buildings also includes meeting rooms, stand-alone restroom facilities and locker rooms. Parkgoers can also use open grills, benches, bleachers and table games again, the city said.

The city says all park visitors will still need to wear a mask inside and outside if they are not exercising. That’s stricter than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent updated guidelines that say fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear a mask outside except in crowded areas where social distancing would be difficult.

The city of Miami said it also plans to reopen other activities soon:

▪ Programs for Persons with Disabilities will resume on Monday, May 17.

▪ The city’s Summer Camp program will resume on Monday, June 14.

▪ Grapeland Water Park will reopen on Memorial Day weekend as usual and will remain open weekends only until June 13. Starting on Monday, June 14, it will be open 7 days a week until Aug., 23. The water park will then remain open weekends only until Labor Day.

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This was originally found in the Miami Herald by Michelle Marchante and can be found here.