"You're so soft" he said.

"Thanks, I don't work out." 😅

I recently finished reading Emily Henry’s Happy Place. It was lent to me over Thanksgiving break, because I don’t read non-fiction. It’s not a rule of mine, it just doesn’t happen. And the women gathered in the kitchen, all avid readers, told me to take my pick from the pile of books.

One aside about books—did you know that Reese Witherspoon became a billionaire by…

Step 1: Start her book club

Step 2: Showcase new authors for free and tell them she’ll promote their book, if she can own the future rights to turn it into a movie (or first refusal).

Step 3: She sees which books are popular, and then makes movies from those books. So smart!

I’m a fan of her movies. I recently watched Home Again. It’s from 2017. And I want that sprawling Spanish-style ranch that she lives in! (Ooh, I just searched for a photo to show you and discovered that both Cindy Crawford and Jennifer Garner lived in that house!)

Home Again house

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Back to Happy Place. There’s a line in there that made me laugh out loud. It’s during an unexpected steamy moment in an outdoor shower between two people who used to be engaged and Wynn says to Harriet, “You’re so soft.” And she responds—mid-kiss, “Thanks. I don’t work out.” 😂

This is how I will transition into the topic of fitness. What kind of exercise do you ENJOY? What kind of workouts get you the RESULTS you want—that could be a feeling, a look, a measure of strength etc?

Let me tell you something.

💪 A few months ago I tried Class Pass.

That was fun. One of the classes I tried was solidcore. I felt like I was in that SNL pilates skit. 😲

Remember, I live in a college town, so it was full of college girls. It was dark and loud and and the directions were so random and fast…and the instructor with the headset (seriously, watch the above linked SNL skit) kept saying “WERK” but not in an congratulatory way…in a use-it-like-a-period-to-end most sentences kind of way. It was so bizarre. And yet, it was booked, every single class for months. I snagged this class because there was a cancellation. And the reviews all sang its praises for being a massive workout. People writing things like, “My abs hurt days later!”

If I was a college girl going on spring break, this is definitely the place to be! But since I’m not, I did not go back. All this to say, if you are looking for a transformative workout, this be it!

💪 I will continue to mention my affinity for the Alo Moves app.

There’s just such a wonderful variety on there. I dig this because I tailor my fitness around cycle syncing. So, I can do light movement when I’m on my period (or nothing at all!) and higher intensity workouts during my ovulation phase, for example. Here is one month free. You’re welcome! I’m such a fan of businesses letting you try them out first. In fact, my kids are trying out a free karate class tomorrow. 🥋

💪 Free workouts on YouTube that I like:

1. I was into Boho Beautiful postpartum. Great yoga classes, all levels.

2. Move with Nicole Excellent pilates class. She also creates weekly workout lists.

3. Oliver Sjostrom. This guy recently showed up in my Shorts feed. I like how he markets—> no verbal instruction, instead his female counterpart will be doing a move the wrong way, say a squat, and he’ll give tweaks, all set to music and in under a minute. I like this because, as a person who exercises from home, sometimes I’d love to have a trainer asses my form. And when I see his videos, it’s a lesson in self correction.

Thanks for being here. I appreciate you! 💖

Lena

P.S. If you’re curious, here’s the book light I use. Great for when one of my kids (or both!) are sleeping next to me.

Blue Light Blocking Clip Light “The perfect companion for your late-night reading sessions without compromising your sleep quality.” —Bon Charge