HI-STYLE GETS FIT: JANUARY

New year, new you. Right? Wrong! Not a new you, just a healthier you. The HI-STYLERS have combined minds and created a new monthly series featuring the ways we are getting fitter - both our minds and our bodies. Whether it be our newest threads, a recipe we cannot stop thinking about, or our latest workout routine, check back every month to get the latest scoop.

Let HI-STYLE upgrade u.


WHAT TO DO


At the start of 2015 everyone is making resolutions. Sometimes they fade into dust come February, and sometimes you stick with them. The trick is finding a method that not only gets you to your goal, but is also fun and engaging enough to keep you on track. 30 Days of Yoga is completely free, and the instructor, Adriene, has the most soothing and upbeat personality. She keeps it light by making jokes and you almost feel like you are actually in the same room.  Each video varies in length, and has a different focus each time. It is something that I look forward to practicing after my snowy commute home from work. Namaste, y'all. -MVM

WHAT TO WEAR

Block Art Leggings, AZIAM. 

In nine short, cold weeks, MVM and I are running our fourth half-marathon. Before we can get to that glorious finish line, we've got a couple things on the mind. First there's the actual training, so on the day of the race you are not stunned by the fact you actually have to run 13.1 miles. And two, doing said training during two of the coldest months of the year. MVM has a gym where she can get cozy on a treadmill, but I have the open roads of London as my training partner and let's be real, they can be a bit of a frigid betch. To combat the cold, I'll be rocking these incredible leggings from AZIAM - I'm smitten. Most of my leggings have a waistband that hits in an awkward spot and I find myself yanking at them, trying to keep them up as I pound the pavement (I'm looking at you Lululemon). But these hit high on your waist and stay there, plus they are super flattering and keep the cold out. Of course I went for a pair from the Wear Your Art Out collection, which features digitally printed original artwork from around the globe. Bonus - the colors are loud enough so my fans (lol) can spot me in the crowd during my next race. For a more budget friendly option, H&M sells a similarly bold pair with a nice, high waistline - run, don't walk! - MEM


WHAT TO LISTEN TO

Ex Hex is a modern grrl's noise-pop, post-punk dream. With Mary Timony as a frontlady, it can't be bad - she's worked with Autoclave, members of Sleater-Kinney, Team Sleep, Quasi, and even has a shout out in a Death Cab for Cutie track (hello, blast from our angsty past). Ex Hex's pedigree aside, Rips is a bold, fun album that's sure to invigorate your Warrior pose and get you through those last few crunches - let "Don't Wanna Lose" be your anthem. -MKS



WHAT TO EAT

p/c Deliciously Ella

Okay, we all know I am banana bread obsessed, but this is a healthier alternative that you can binge on during the week. I am not vegan, gluten free, or dairy free--but, yes, this banana bread is. It is one of the easiest things to whip up on a Sunday afternoon when you are binge watching Downton and is something you can take with you for breakfast in the morning or as an afternoon pick me up (that's what I do!). You should seriously check it out because my mouth is frothing at the thought of the maple syrup cinnamon deliciousness. Deliciously Ella is my homegirl. -MVM


WHAT TO READ

J.K. Rowling, author of a little-known fantasy series about wizards and owls or something, is releasing something completely different this April - a self-help book. Based on her fantastic commencement speech for Harvard University in 2008, Very Good Lives aims to guide any reader that finds themselves at a crossroads, or without balance, or just in a tough spot. You can preorder now, but if you can't wait until April 14 for Rowling's genius, watch the speech and bask in the magic. -MKS





Let's do this, 2015. BRING IT ON!