Health and Fitness Archives – Page 6 of 7

Popsugar launches Popsugar Play/Ground, a female-focused lifestyle event

April 16, 2018

Popsugar Play/Ground

Kate Hudson at the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on January 29, 2017. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Mindy Kaling at a New York City screening of “A Wrinkle in Time” at Walter Reade Theater on March 7, 2018. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Hearst)

Yara Shahidi at the 2017 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on November 19, 2017. (Photo courtesy of ABC/Image Group LA)

The following is a press release from Popsugar:

On June 9 and June 10, 2018, at Pier 94 in New York City, powerhouse global lifestyle media company POPSUGAR, along with event partner Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event organizer, will bring POPSUGAR’s content to life at POPSUGAR Play/Ground. A breakthrough festival that will provide experiences that are at once playful and grounding, attendees will have the opportunity to learn, shop, sweat, enjoy, and indulge.

Festivalgoers will find the ultimate happy place at this one-of-a-kind interactive wonderland with programming and panel conversations featuring Play/Ground creative advisors Kate Hudson, Mindy Kaling, and Yara Shahidi, as well as spiritual guru Gabby Bernstein and many others. Further highlights will include a musical performance by AlunaGeorge, an artist collaboration with Ashley Longshore, cutting-edge workouts lead by fitness superstars, an interactive shopping bazaar featuring exclusive product collaborations with favorite POPSUGAR brands, Instagram-worthy art installations, and so much more.

Attendees will also be able to experience curated brand activations. Presenting partner, eyelove, will educate women about the importance of eye health. “With experiential marketing on the rise, our involvement provides an exciting opportunity to engage with consumers in a new way, while encouraging them to prioritize their eye health,” said Michelle Nguyen, Consumer Marketing Lead, Ophthalmics at Shire. Freeform, Disney’s young adult television television network, is also a presenting partner, and will have activations presenting their summer programming. Nordstrom will highlight Nordstrom’s approach to wellness and will feature Nordstrom beauty products and services. Lime-A-Rita, Moen, COVERGIRL, and many others will also participate.

“At POPSUGAR, we aim to make women’s lives happier, smarter and easier. With this new kind of festival, we will do the same while inspiring and entertaining them,” said Lisa Sugar, founder and president of POPSUGAR. “POPSUGAR Play/Ground’s programming reflects the wide range of interests of our audience, where they can come to engage every part of their lives in an unforgettable two day experience.”

“Our team is excited to collaborate with POPSUGAR in creating their biggest event yet with POPSUGAR Play/Ground and to bring Reed Exhibitions’ event expertise to the festival,” said Hervé Sedky, president of Reed Exhibitions, The Americas. “We’re thrilled to expand our portfolio of events and continue to forge a successful partnership with POPSUGAR.”

Central to the event will be the unique and powerful brand activations attendees can only experience at POPSUGAR Play/Ground. “Today’s consumers don’t just want to shop their brands; they want to fully experience everything their brands have to offer,” said Geoff Schiller, POPSUGAR CRO. “To that end, by activating at POPSUGAR Play/Ground, our brand partners will deliver on that promise and opportunity at scale. Together, we will engage, empower and inspire thousands of people.”

The two-day festival is expecting to attract more than 15,000 attendees. More guests, performers, sponsors, and exhibitors will be announced in the following months.

For more information on POPSUGAR Play/Ground and to purchase tickets, please click here.

About POPSUGAR:
POPSUGAR Inc. is a global media and technology company that is parent to lifestyle media publisher POPSUGAR, quarterly subscription box POPSUGAR Must Have, and makeup line Beauty by POPSUGAR. Together, the brands attract a monthly global audience of 400 million, generating 3.1 billion monthly content views. POPSUGAR is a leading lifestyle brand for young women, delivering inspiring, informative, and entertaining content in multiplatforms across entertainment, fashion, beauty, fitness, food, parenting, news, and more. POPSUGAR Studios, the video production arm of POPSUGAR, Inc., garners more than 390 million monthly views of its original series.

POPSUGAR Inc. operates internationally in Australia, the Middle East, and the UK, with offices in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and London. The company is privately held and funded by Sequoia Capital and IVP. For more information about POPSUGAR Inc., visit corp.popsugar.com.

About Reed Exhibitions:
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer, with over 500 events in over 30 countries. In 2016, Reed brought together over seven million active event participants from around the world, generating billions of dollars in business. Today, Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Africa and organized by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events and is part of RELX Group, a world leading provider of professional information solutions. www.reedexpo.com

W Hotels launches FUEL Weekends

April 4, 2018

The following is a press release from W Hotels Worldwide:

Sweat it out. Soak it in. W Hotels Worldwide announced the next iteration of the brand’s unique take on fitness and wellness, FUEL weekends by W Hotels. By enlisting high-energy fitness experts to act as weekend workout guides – including Jason Wimberly, Joe Holder, Ashley Guarrasi, and Tara Stiles – W Hotels is launching next level, energy-soaked workout getaways in some of the most vibrant and inspiring destinations in the world. Kick box, then kick it up a notch. Work up a sweat, then party down. This is how W feeds guests’ passion for staying in shape, in style.

W always does things differently, and a workout is no exception,” said Anthony Ingham, W Hotels Worldwide Global Brand Leader. “FUEL weekends feature insider access to some of the best trainers in the world, coupled with the playfully luxe experience of W. We know wellness means more than just a good workout, and that’s why classes are offered alongside plenty of opportunities to retox in style, for a trip unlike any other.”

W is kicking off the 2018 FUEL lineup at W Punta de Mita, May 25 – May 28, 2018 for a three-day, three-night non-stop schedule where every moment has guests looking good and feeling better. W has been championing a “work hard play hard” mantra for years, under a unique spin on health and wellness the brand calls FUEL. These weekends will continue to expand the brand’s innovative philosophy with fitness fans around the world, providing guests with everything they need to look good, feel good, go longer, and stay later.

Detoxing at a FUEL weekend will mean a choice of well-rounded workouts with experts in multiple disciplines including yoga, boxing, surfing and HIIT sessions, all taught by energetic fitness masters. Classes at the inaugural weekend range from strength training with Jason Wimberly, Founder of THE WALL, to Boxing Cardio with Rumble Guru, Ashley Guarrasi, as well as getting runway ready with trainer, Joe Holder and striking some yoga poses with Yoga Rebel, Tara Stiles, of Strala Yoga fame. Guests will then go from “Om” to “Ahhh” with daily indulgences of locally-sourced healthy cuisine. The weekend will offer guests a taste of Nayarit-native dish preparations, curated by Chef Juan Guizzo, along with daily breakfasts, all poised to fuel the best workouts.

Then it’s time to retox – a chance for guests to play as hard as they work out. This FUEL weekend will include welcome cocktails and healthy light bites upon arrival. Treat yourself to a two- hour open bar, beats from world-class DJs like May Kwok, Alan Salomon and va$htie, a day time pool party and more. For guests looking for even more action, add-ons during the first FUEL weekend include mezcal tastings, ziplining, ATV adventures, on-site spa treatments, beachside activities inspired by the local culture and even surf lessons set on the sparkling coastline of the hotel. Guests can also head out to explore the local town of Sayulita, a nearby village backed by the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains.

This series is an addition to the brand’s worldwide FUEL offerings that connect guests with ways to stay fit while on the go. All 50+ W hotels offer classes, state-of-the-art FIT gyms and locally-inspired cuisine to keep guests feeling good and looking great. Guests can feel the burn during beachside sunrise yoga sessions at newly renovated W Fort Lauderdale, tone up with personal trainers at W Barcelona or learn the centuries-old art of Tai Chi at W Shanghai – The Bund.

In addition to the Memorial Day FUEL weekend at W Punta de Mita, W will host additional weekend-long events at W Verbier and W Dubai – The Palm later this year, with more destinations coming up for 2018 and beyond.

FUEL weekend at W Punta de Mita is bookable at: www.whotels.com/fuelweekends. Follow @WHotels on Twitter and Instagram for more updates and announcements.

About W Hotels Worldwide
Born from the bold attitude and 24/7 culture of New York City, W Hotels, part of Marriott International, Inc., has disrupted and redefined the hospitality scene for nearly two decades. Trailblazing its way around the globe, with more than 50 hotels, W Hotels defies expectations and breaks the norms of traditional luxury wherever the iconic W sign lands. With a mission to fuel guests’ lust for life, W ignites an obsessive desire to soak it in, live it up and hit repeat. The brand’s provocative design, iconic Whatever/Whenever service and buzzing Living Rooms create an experience that is often copied but never matched. Innovative, inspiring and infectious, the brand’s super-charged energy celebrates guests’ endless appetite to discover what’s new/next in each destination, to see more, feel more, go longer, stay later. W Hotels Worldwide is proud to participate in the industry’s award-winning loyalty program, Starwood Preferred Guest®. Members can now link accounts with Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® at members.marriott.com for instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer. For more information on W Hotels, visit whotels.com/theangle or follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

CrossFit partners with Strauss Brands for meat collection

April 3, 2018

The following is a press release from Strauss Brands:

CrossFit Inc. and Strauss Brands have signed a first-of-its-kind partnership to offer CrossFit® Approved premium-quality meat through a multi-year deal brokered by IMG.

A CrossFit Approved® box, featuring a curation of Strauss’ free-range chicken, grass-fed burgers, beef sticks and various cuts of steak, is now available on Strauss’ online store, Free Raised® Direct. Strauss will also be stocking CrossFit Approved® meat in select grocery retailers across the United States later this year.

“Our community believes athletes must take a 360-degree approach to a healthy lifestyle,” said Bruce Edwards, CrossFit Inc. COO. “Due to the physical intensity of our workouts, a critical component of a complementary diet is protein—it provides energy and fuels performance. We’re proud to welcome a partner that can educate and propel our workouts forward.”

Known as the largest branded fitness program in the world, CrossFit has well over 14,000 affiliates around the world and determines the Fittest on Earth® through the annual CrossFit Games season. In 2018, about 416,000 people registered to compete. The partnership with Strauss is CrossFit’s first physical manifestation of its nutrition principles through food and beverage products.

“While CrossFit is an unparalleled force in the world of fitness, it is so much more than that—it inspires healthy lifestyles around the world, with nutrition being a core focus,” Edwards said. “Expansion into food and beverage is a natural step for the brand, and Strauss Brands is the perfect partner to create products that will resonate with the CrossFit community and anyone who’s interested in their health and well-being.”

Strauss Brands’ mission is to educate consumers on the health benefits of its better-for-you grass-fed and finished protein while making its products accessible nationwide. CrossFit will help the brand spread this message because CrossFit goes beyond workouts to create a community that’s focused on healthy lifestyle choices.

“When selecting clean protein, athletes need to go beyond labels and inform themselves on the health of the animal it is sourced from,” said Randy Strauss, CEO and third-generation co-owner of Strauss Brands. “Much like CrossFit, Strauss recognizes diet as the foundational key to optimal health, which is why we start and finish our cattle on pasture grass.”

He added: “Our cattle are raised as nature intended—free of antibiotics and growth-promoting hormones on open pastures for the duration of their lives. The result is a protein that’s better for the animal’s health and the health of the people who consume it.”

About CrossFit Inc.
CrossFit Inc. is the developer and provider of the CrossFit® Fitness Program and a recognized worldwide leader in functional fitness. Founded by Greg Glassman and built on the foundations of constantly varied, high-intensity functional movements, education and collaborative competition, CrossFit-brand workouts develop strength and fitness while cultivating community and camaraderie in each of the more than 14,000 affiliated gyms in CrossFit’s global network. CrossFit Inc. is a leading accredited certificate issuer for physical-training professionals worldwide and offers specialty certificate programs in addition to its core curriculum. CrossFit Inc. publishes the CrossFit Journal, promotes physical and cognitive health and fitness through the CrossFit Kids Foundation, and created and operates the CrossFit Games, an annual competition where elite athletes compete to be named the Fittest on Earth™. To learn more, visit www.CrossFit.com, Games.CrossFit.com, Facebook.com/CrossFit or http://www.youtube.com/CrossFitHQ. CrossFit®, Forging Elite Fitness®, The Sport of Fitness® and Fittest on Earth® are registered trademarks or trademarks of CrossFit Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

About Strauss Brands:
With more than 80 years of experience in restaurants and grocery stores, Strauss Brands is a leader in the meat industry, offering grass-fed and finished beef, humanely raised veal and lamb. Strauss is built around the quality of its meat, the humane treatment of animals and the provision of environmental sustainability through its growing network of pasture-based independent American family farms. Strauss Brands recently expanded to offer consumers the option to get the same chef-quality meat delivered via its online store, Strauss Free Raised® Direct. Whether you shop in-store or Direct to Your Door®, your choice in protein matters. For more information about Free Raised® Direct, and to purchase Strauss products, visit FreeRaisedDirect.com or find a retailer near you with our product locator and check us out on Facebookand Instagram.

About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media, operating in more than 30 countries. The company manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in sports training and league development, as well as marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. IMG is part of the Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG) network.

CPP study links exercise program success to personality-based differences

March 29, 2018

The following is a press release from CPP:

CPP, Inc., the publisher of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ® (MBTI®) assessment, has announced new research that shows that the effectiveness of someone’s exercise regime often depends on their personality type. The study, designed by CPP Senior Researcher Nancy Schaubhut, investigated how organizations can help their staff’s development through exercise. Research found that matching an individual’s personality type to an exercise plan can increase both its effectiveness and the person’s enjoyment of it.

According to study co-author John Hackston, Psychologist and Head of Thought Leadership at CPP, “Organizations can use these findings to help staff improve their fitness, with the goal of lower illness-related absences and increased employee satisfaction.” Among its findings, the study showed that:

In general, more creative people (particularly those who enjoy working with new ideas) are better suited to outdoor activities such as cycling and running, as opposed to exercising with a structured gym regimen
People with a preference for objective logic are more likely to stick to a regimented exercise plan than those who view feelings and values as being more important.

New research from CPP – The Myers-Briggs Company finds that the effectiveness of someone’s exercise regime often depends on their Myers-Briggs personality type. (Image courtesy of CPP, Inc.)

The study looked at how more than 800 people from a range of industries across several countries approach exercise. It presents a number valuable findings for today’s employers, who have a vested interest in the health and wellness of their staff. Key findings from the research, presented recently by Hackston at the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology annual conference in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, showed that personality type influences people’s inclinations toward:

Exercising at a gym, outside or at home
While those who prefer Introversion are equally inclined to exercise either at a gym or at home, 63 percent of those who prefer Extraversion prefer to work out at a gym (vs. 37 percent who’d rather exercise at home). And while both those who prefer Sensing and those who prefer Intuition are more inclined toward outdoor workouts, the difference is wider among those with Intuition preferences, who are almost twice as likely prefer to exercise outdoors (67 percent) vs. indoors (33 percent).

Structure and repetition…or variety and spontaneity
When it comes to variety in their workout, those with preferences for Perceiving were more than ten percent more likely than those with preferences for Judging (78 percent vs. 66 percent) to prefer mixing it up over repetition. Those with Perceiving preferences were also 15 percent more likely than their Judging counterparts (77 percent vs. 61 percent) to prefer taking a diversity of routes when running, hiking or biking.

Choosing an instructor based on qualifications, or a personal relationship
When choosing a fitness instructor, those who prefer Thinking were about 12 percent more likely to make a decision based on qualifications/experience (vs. a personal relationship) than those who prefer Feeling (65 percent vs. 53 percent).

Socializing at the gym, or sticking to yourself
Not surprisingly, those who prefer Introversion were nearly 20 percent more likely to exercise alone than those who prefer Extraversion (who in fact tend to exercise more with others than alone, at 55 percent to 45 percent).

Similarly, when attending classes, those who prefer Introversion were 30 percent more likely to keep to themselves than those who prefer Extraversion (80 percent vs. 49 percent).

“For companies looking to improve the health of their employees, this research indicates that more successful wellness programs will likely be individualized,” said co-author Dr. Rich Thompson, Divisional Director of Research, CPP, Inc. “While individuals may feel like they should follow popular or more established formulas, they’re much more likely to succeed with an exercise plan that matches their personality type.”

Read more about the findings in the Myers-Briggs Personality Type & Exercise blog.

About CPP–The Myers-Briggs® Company
Unlock your organization’s potential and solve your most challenging workplace issues with CPP–The Myers-Briggs^®Company. Our solutions improve individual and team performance, addressing issues from communication to conflict management, and supporting leadership development, career decisions, selection, and retention. Perhaps that’s why millions of organizations, large and small, partner with us, including the majority of Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, government agencies, and training and development consultants.

For more than 50 years, we have provided world-renowned brands that include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator^®(MBTI^®), Strong Interest Inventory^®, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI^®), FIRO^®, and California Psychological Inventory^™ (CPI^™) assessments. Contact us at www.cpp.com.

Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods: 5 ways it could change how people shop for groceries

June 16, 2017

by Carla Hay

When online retail giant Amazon announced on June 16, 2017, that it was buying health-oriented grocery chain Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, the effects were immediately seen in company stocks: Amazon’s shares were up 3 percent at $993.40, adding more than $14 billion to its market capitalization, according to Reuters.

Whole Foods customers are mostly upscale consumers, and the company has been openly courting millennials (people ages 18 to 34), who tend to be more conscious about how and where their food is sourced. Here are five ways that an Amazon-owned Whole Foods could change the grocery industry and how people buy groceries.

Whole Foods will improve online orders and home delivery. Amazon has long been an industry leader in online retail and product delivery, and the company has been investing heavily in drones and drop-off centers. Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods is an obvious move for Amazon to become the world’s top online grocery service. That means online food delivery services such as GrubHub, UberEats and FreshDirect will be hit hard by this competition from an Amazon-owned Whole Foods.

Whole Foods will become available in more countries. Whole Foods currently has 444 stores in the U.S., 12 stores in Canada and 9 stores in the U.K., according to the company. Expect more Whole Foods stores (and the company’s spinoff chain of stores 365 by Whole Foods Market) to open in several other countries over the years.

Competitors will lower their prices. Trader Joe’s and Sprouts are direct competitors to Whole Foods because they have been targeting similar upscale consumers. Expect them to lower their prices in order to better compete with Whole Foods, which offers extra amenities (such as in-store dining) that most of their grocery competitors do not. Meanwhile, other competitors such as Walmart, Target, Walgreens and Rite-Aid, which sell numerous other products besides groceries, will also have to reconsider their pricing and inventory strategies.

Whole Foods will become more of a lifestyle destination. Just like Starbucks is repositioning itself as more than just a place that sells coffee, Whole Foods will expand its offerings beyond groceries in order to take advantage of Amazon’s massive inventory. Whole Foods already sells health products and clothes, but expect Whole Foods to revamp spaces into lifestyle destinations that do things such as sell books and offer wellness courses. Over the next several years, Whole Foods’ cafeteria-like spaces might start to look more like lounges, which is how Starbucks is already planning to reinvent its business.

Whole Foods will offer more customization for buyers, based on their “customer profiles.” Just like Amazon has become adept at recommending products and giving promotional discounts based on consumers’ past purchases, Whole Foods will likely adopt the same marketing strategy for its customers by creating profiles that will involve things such as rewards/member club points that may or may not be tied to Amazon purchases.

2017 Global Wellness Day: details on how to get involved

June 9, 2017

The following is a press release from Global Wellness Day:

aturday, June 10, 2017 will mark the sixth annual Global Wellness Day (GWD) celebration and the third time the special day is being celebrated around the world. With a mantra of “One Day Can Change Your Whole Life,” Turkish founder and cancer survivor, Belgin Aksoy Berkin, has inspired an international network of over 85 Global Wellness Day Ambassadors, 3 Advisors & 21 Key Supports to organize complimentary wellness events in over 4,000 locations in 100 countries this year. Aksoy Berkin’s idea from the beginning was that wellness is not a luxury but the inherent right of every individual and she works hard to ensure that #GlobalWellnessDay events will never be commercial and are free and open to the public.

Global Wellness Day’s simple but effective pink paddles saying “I SAY YES TO WELLNESS” have become synonymous with the day and its good living manifesto is simple and clear.

Complimentary wellness activities – like Zumba, yoga, Pilates, dance, hiking, nutrition workshops, breathing, laughter, and art – will be organized in communities as small as Whitefish, Montana and Imperial Beach, CA as remote as jungle communities in Thailand and as pristine as an oceanfront promenade in Tel Aviv. From senior centers in the Netherlands to orphanages in Brazil, people of all ages will experience the difference one day can make to inspire healthy change in the world.

International governmental institutions, mayors, associations and hotel and spa companies like Four Seasons, Fairmont, Mandarin Oriental, SIX SENSES, Marriott, Accor, Hilton, Red Door & Blu continue to rally in support of GWD in places like India, Ireland, Nigeria, Mexico, Costa Rica, Aruba, France, the U.S., Canada, Hungary, Japan, Turkey and Serbia.

“Our ambassadors have done such an amazing job over the past three years,” says founder, Aksoy Berkin, “that this year we are able to expand our focus to include the goals of spreading a message of happiness, kindness, gratitude and mindfulness, often now in underserved communities. We are also seeing an emphasis on reaching out especially to children, which continues to give me hope for the future.

My goal is to have GWD included on the official calendar of the United Nations,” Aksoy Berkin adds, “since it will be a real catalyst for international awareness.”

Christie Brinkley helps launch Beverly Hills: City of WELLTH program

May 11, 2017

Christie Brinkley participates in the Beverly Hills City of WELLTH program. (Photo courtesy of Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau)

The following is a press release from the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau:

Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau announces today the launch of Beverly Hills: City of WELLTH, bringing together leading experts for a season of wellness and mindfulness activities.

Playing on the words “wealth” and health and wellness, Beverly Hills has chosen “WELLTH” as the theme for the campaign. First identified in a book of the same name written by mindbodygreen founder Jason Wachob, WELLTH defines a move away from a drive for money and possessions to a less materialistic and more valuable life currency that encompasses wellness and is exemplified by health, purpose and happiness.

Iconic supermodel Christie Brinkley, a vegetarian since the age 14 and committed to an organic lifestyle, expresses her appreciation of the initiative stating, “I’m thrilled to be involved with the launch of the City of WELLTH. A healthy, holistic lifestyle has been intrinsic to my long career in the fashion and beauty industry. A balanced approach to diet, exercise and mindfulness is the key to happiness and life long vitality. Wellness is glamorous!”

“The shifting status quo of how success is now perceived in terms of health and wellbeing, rather than through material and financial wealth, means the desire for WELLTH is now a key factor in people’s choice of travel destination. Beverly Hills: City of WELLTH exemplifies the destination’s continual innovation to create inviting options for visitors, and places wellbeing at the forefront of its world-class accommodation, dining, and spa and offerings,” comments Julie Wagner, CEO of Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau. The city will be showcasing a range of activities inspired by the pillars of WELLTH: Move, Eat, Restore, Gratitude and Explore.

To mark the launch today, Jason Wachob leads a forum highlighting the WELLTH concept and what makes Beverly Hills the City of WELLTH. Experts in each pillar are joining Jason at Alo Yoga in Beverly Hills to discuss their own areas of expertise, the interplay between each pillar and how Beverly Hills contributes to the wellbeing of its visitors. These include Caley Alyssa (MOVE), Matthey Kenney (EAT), Dana Claudat (RESTORE), James Duigan (GRATITUDE), and Charlie Knowles (EXPLORE).

Hotels across the city are getting involved with unique WELLTH packages room and spa packages. These include: The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Beverly Hilton, Beverly Wilshire (A Four Seasons hotel), Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel, Montage Beverly Hills, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, SIXTY Beverly Hills, Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (full details below). Terms and conditions apply, visit lovebeverlyhills.com/wellth for details and booking contact for all packages.

Wellthy meals are also available at a number of participating restaurants in Beverly Hills, showcasing specials that fall under one or more criteria: locally sourced, plant-based, vegan, paleo or utilizing meat that is grass-fed or hormone-free. Restaurants and cafes are listed below and can also be found at lovebeverlyhills.com/wellth.

Travelers will also be able to find out their 902*IQ through a fun, engaging and insightful quiz, hosted at lovebeverlyhills.com/quiz. Participants will be able to check their current wellthy lifestyle score and learn how to improve it through various Move, Eat, Restore, show Gratitude and Explore experiences in Beverly Hills. This score can also be shared on social media with the hashtag #BHWellth.

Wellness is an ongoing focus in Beverly Hills, with Mindful in May events across the city, including a community celebration with Dr. Deepak Chopra. The best-selling author of more than 85 books, will be leading a guided meditation session outside on City Hall grounds on May 12.

Wagner continues, “Beverly Hills has everything for the individual looking for a destination with wellbeing at its heart. WELLTH is not a trend in Beverly Hills, it’s a lifestyle.”

Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau Julie Wagner, Christie Brinkley and Beverly Hills mayor Lili Bosse. (Photo courtesy of Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau)

Christie Brinkley participates in the Beverly Hills: City of WELLTH program. (Photo courtesy of Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau)

Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan opens The Wellery space devoted to wellness

May 11, 2017

Saks Fifth Avenue Wellery (Photo courtesy of Justin Bridges Photography)

The following is a press release from Saks Fifth Avenue:

Saks Fifth Avenue announces the opening of The Wellery concept shop in New York City’s Manhattan borough. In the first-of-its-kind space, guests can find more than 16,000 square feet of immersive experiences dedicated to wellness. Located on the second floor of the Fifth Avenue flagship at 611 Fifth Avenue at 50th Street, the Saks Wellery features a curated edit of the best products, classes and services in the city for living a healthier and more balanced life. This unique space will be open for a limited time through October 2017.

The Saks Wellery is a lifestyle-centric shopping destination for today’s experience-seeking consumer. The space is comprised of 22 individual spaces offering visitors the most sought-after fitness classes and equipment, women’s and men’s activewear and athleisure apparel, and skincare products and treatments. A dedicated Saks Wellery concierge is available on-site to direct customers, or help them determine which offerings best suit their wellness needs. The Saks Studio space will host rotating pop-up classes and events from some of the City’s most exciting gyms and fitness programs.

“Saks has a long history of creating breakthrough, experiential environments in our stores—in 1935, an indoor ski slope was constructed in the flagship store in order to offer skiing lessons. The Saks Wellery, our latest concept shop, focused entirely on wellness, continues the Saks tradition of elevating shopping to a higher level by building exciting customer experiences,” said Saks Fifth Avenue Chief Merchant Tracy Margolies. “We want the Saks Wellery to be a sanctuary for our customers—a place to find peace and solace in the middle of our bustling city.”

The Wellery will offer more than 1,200 of the City’s best fitness classes through October. Studios offering fitness classes in dedicated studios include ConBody, a prison-style boot camp using only one’s body weight, and Bendable Body, a specialized stretching method that works on connective tissue. The Saks Studio space will feature rotating pop-up classes from several local companies beginning Saturday, May 13. MNDFL offers meditation classes and the instructors at modelFIT teach class-goers how to move with strength and grace through daily activities. In addition to fitness classes, the Saks Studio will host wellness-focused events, including reiki healing, meditation, massages, and more.

To feel rejuvenated and healed, visitors can visit Breathe Salt Rooms to experience dry salt therapy, then grab a hydrogen-infused HFactor water for the road. For clients in need of a beauty fix, SKINNEY MedSpa offers services including non-invasive body contouring and hi-tech facials, and Sundays nail studio specializes in two-in-one manicures with meditation.

Fitness aficionados can check out and test the latest home gym equipment in showrooms from Technogym, Peloton, and Martone Cycling Co. New York City’s Drive 495, a luxury fitness boutique, offers customized stretching and workout routines aimed at helping clients achieve athletic goals, as well as custom golf club fittings for PXG’s innovative club technology. Heroine Sport, Phat Buddha, Beyond Yoga, S’well, and Alala are just a few of the brands featured in the activewear shop.

Fitness classes throughout the floor can be booked ahead of time through the individual brands’ websites, and walk-ins can stop by the Wellery concierge to check on class availability. The Wellery concierge can be reached by phone at (212) 940-2457.

The complete list of Saks Wellery shops is as follows: Bendable Body, Blink Brow Bar, Bodyism, Breathe Salt Rooms, Care/of, ConBody, Decorté, Drive 495 featuring PXG, Glow Recipe, Greyson Clothiers, Martone Cycling Co., Peloton, Ron Dorff, Saks women’s athleisure shop, Saks Wellery concierge featuring Hfactor, Saks Studio, SKINNEY MedSpa, sundays, Technogym and Trish McEvoy.

Harris Poll’s 2017 EquiTrend Study shows top health brands of the year

April 19, 2017

The Harris Poll’s 29th annual EquiTrend Study reveals 2017’s strongest brands across the media, travel, financial, automotive, entertainment, retail, restaurant, technology, household and nonprofit industries, based on consumer response.

Measuring brand health over time, the EquiTrend Brand Equity Index is comprised of three factors—Familiarity, Quality and Purchase Consideration—that result in a brand equity rating for each brand. According to a Harris Poll press release, the brands ranking highest in equity receive the Harris Poll EquiTrend “Brand of the Year” award for their respective categories. This year, more than 100,000 U.S. consumers assessed more than 4,000 brands across more than 450 categories.

Here are the top-ranking brands in the health industry:

Health Insurance Brand of the Year

Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Health Net
Amerigroup
Anthem
UnitedHealthcare

Other Health Insurance brands in study ranked below category average (alphabetically): Aetna, Cigna, Coventry Health Care, Humana, Kaiser Permanente

Health Non-Profit Brand of the Year

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Make-A-Wish
American Heart Association
American Cancer Society
American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF)
American Stroke Association
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
The Jimmy Fund
American Diabetes Association

Other Health Non-Profit brands in study ranked below category average (alphabetically): Alzheimer’s Association, American Lung Association, Arthritis Foundation, Avon Foundation for Women, Children’s Miracle Network, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), LIVESTRONG, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), National Kidney Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Stroke Association, Planned Parenthood, Susan G Komen for the Cure, World Health Organization (WHO)

Health Information Website Brand of the Year

Drugs.com
WebMD
MayoClinic.org
NIH.gov (National Institute of Health)

Other Health Information Website brands in study ranked below category average (alphabetically): CNN Health, Lifescript.com, MSN Health, Yahoo! Health

REI launches Force of Nature campaign to promote gender equality for outdoor activities

April 3, 2017

REI Force of Nature — (Photo courtesy of REI)

The following is an excerpt from an REI press release:

Outdoor co-op REI has launched a comprehensive effort to advance gender equity in the outdoors, encouraging millions of its members to embrace the outdoors as “the world’s largest level playing field.” From gear to experiences and from nonprofit partnerships to powerful women-first storytelling, Force of Nature aims to ensure that women are just as inspired and equipped as men to embrace life outside. Force of Nature features four components: a comprehensive effort to change the male-dominated imagery of people in the outdoors; a $1 million commitment in 2017 to support nonprofits that create opportunities for women in the outdoors; a stepped-up effort to develop and offer high-quality technical gear and apparel for women; and the launch of over 1,000 events designed for women, beginning May 6.

Force of Nature is a public-facing effort that builds on nearly eight decades of REI work to create more access to the outdoors for women. The co-op has a balanced leadership team. Women hold more than 40 percent of senior leadership roles, including the current chief financial officer, chief information officer, and the heads of human resources, merchandising and strategy. One third of the REI board of directors are women.

REI also published a national study commissioned to better understand the role the outdoors plays in women’s lives and how the outdoors is perceived today. The study revealed that 7 out of 10 women believe that women are under more pressure to conform than men, and that they also view the outdoors as an antidote to that pressure. Additionally, the study found that more than 85 percent of women see the outdoors as key to better physical and mental health, and overall well-being, and 73 percent say they would like to spend more time outdoors.

Changing the Male-Dominated Imagery of People Outdoors
The co-op has committed to putting women first and foremost in all of its storytelling for the remainder of 2017. The effort will “take over” REI’s digital marketing, social media content and media partnerships, and storytelling across member communications, REI Adventures, Outdoor School, REI Adventure Projects and internal communications. REI will host a film festival this fall focused on women in the outdoors, and partnered with Outside magazine to help them create their first ever all-women’s issue, due on newsstands April 11.

$1M to Support Community Organizations that Create Opportunities for Women Outdoors
As part of its annual commitment to create access to the outdoors for all, the co-op will invest over $1 million in community organizations that create more opportunities for women and girls to get outside in 2017. Roughly $500,000 will support organizations such as Camber Outdoors, GirlTrek and the YMCA’s BOLD/GOLD initiative. REI also unveiled a new $500,000 fund, available through an open call submission process, for additional organizations that create opportunity for women and girls in the outdoors. Up to $300,000 of this fund will be fueled by a custom-designed bandana, an artist collaborative T-shirt and member-exclusive REI Flash pack.

Outfitting Women for Outdoor Adventure
REI will continue to work with its partners to elevate and invest in companies that are creating the world’s best outdoor gear for women. For decades, REI has pushed the outdoor industry to put the “pink-it-and-shrink-it” philosophy aside and offer high performance women-specific outdoor gear. Women-specific product has improved dramatically, but in certain product categories, there remains a gap between the quality of high end men’s and women’s gear available. Several brands have stepped up as partners with an increased focus on world class women’s gear, particularly in women-specific fit and assortment, including Osprey, GHOST, Oiselle, Arc’teryx, Terry, Oboz, Darn Tough, Outdoor Research and prAna.

Over 1,000 Events Designed to Get Women Outside
REI opened registration to hundreds of REI Outdoor School classes and experiences across the country designed for women. On May 6, the co-op will offer a full day of Force of Nature experiences and programs hosted by its Outdoor School’s expert instructors and community partners. These events will continue throughout the summer, with more than 1,000 events, many of them happening weekly on “Force Wednesdays” in select markets.

The co-op will also host three REI Outessa retreats at breathtaking mountain settings. These immersive, three-day outdoor adventures enable women to find their outdoor community, do what they love and try something new in the country’s most beautiful outdoor playgrounds. Retreats are scheduled at Kirkwood Mountain Resort in California from July 14 to July 16, Mt. Hood in Oregon from August 18 to August 20 and Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire from September 22 to September 24.

REI Adventures has also launched a collection of 19 Women’s Adventures in Africa, Europe, Latin America, New Zealand and North America. These extraordinary journeys are designed specifically for all-women groups and led by female guides.