Q&A WITH WW, PART DEUX

A ton more questions have come in via Instagram and submissions on the blog so I'm doing my best to round them up here. 

What are your favorite fitness tools for travel? 
When I'm anywhere but home, I travel with a S'well water bottle, my resistance bands (less than $12 on Amazon), and running sneakers. With these three in tow, I can get in a strength training or cardio workout in almost anywhere. I also love Popsugar's on demand workouts when I'm feeling uninspired. 

What kind of "milk" do you use and why? 
I prefer almond milk and 9/10 (unless I don't have access to it) use Califia Farms unsweetened almond milk. I love their flavor and all of their nut milks are carrageenan (a commonly used additive with a long list of negative side effects) free. It's also rich in calcium and has 0g of sugar. Cashew milk is another option I like in moderation. Soy milk can be high in protein, if that's your focus, but I don't personally consume soy and recommend that you look into the effects of high soy consumption before you choose this as your milk alternative. Lastly, I would say if you're looking for the cleanest option, making your own nut milk isn't too strenuous and is always delicious. 

Do you use collagen and if so, have you seen dramatic results?
I incorporate collagen into my diet daily. For one, my stomach is too sensitive for most protein products on the market so collagen peptides are an easy way for me to get the protein my body needs without the added upset. In addition, I'm a firm believer in the science that supports collagen intake and what it can do for our skin, hair, nails, joints and muscles. Have I seen miraculous changes? Absolutely not but I also think that anyone who claims that have is likely full of... :D

How many hours of sleep do you aim to get a night?
I would love to say that I get 8-9 hours but it's typically get 6-7. I am a sleep LOVER but teach barre early early in the mornings so getting tons of sleep at night is hard for me. I believe that sleep is completely critical to our long-term health and I tell all of my clients to really make it a priority (yes, sometimes that means recording your shows and binging over the weekend!). 
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How do you get motivated to exercise every day? Especially if it's at the end of the day? 
This is a tough one. My first choice is always to work out first thing in the morning but, if that's not an option, it's usually within the 4-7pm window. This. is. tough. I'll start by candidly saying that there's often a pre-workout supplement of some kind involved. Secondly, my (usually) 60 minutes of exercise is my 100% dedicated me-time and is the most rejuvenating part of my day. I've never ever felt regret after a sweat sesh, no matter what time of day. I try to remind myself of this when it feels like the weight of my body couldn't possible allow me off the couch. Even if it's 15 minutes, just do it and get it done and know you'll feel 10x better after. I also put on my work out clothes far FAR in advance so I have no excuse :-P (but who I am I kidding I live in them anyways...). I truly feel like my health and the ability to move my body is such a blessing and I don't ever want to take that for granted.

What else do you drink besides water? Sometimes I get so tired of it.
I get it! My water intake definitely outweighs everything else - but I throw iced/hot green tea, kombucha, and sparkling water (usually La Croix) into the rotation on the reg.

Do you count/track calories? 
I personally do not. I've learned over time that my personality is a little too obsessive for closely tracking so I just try to keep a general tally of whats going on in my head throughout the day. My tracking is more focused on carbs, fats, proteins, fruits, veggies, etc. - I prescribe to a more intuitive style of eating, really listening to my body and eating when I feel hungry and not eating when I don't, all within reason of course. It's all about quality over quantity (whether high or low) for me. 

What are your favorite athletic-wear brands? 
I liiiiive in my athletic-wear so look, fit, and feel are so important to me. My staples are: 
Lululemon
DYI 
Sweaty Betty
Carbon38 (use code "courtneywin50" for 20% off your next order!)
Alo Yoga

How did you get into meditating? It's so boring! 
I started meditating using the Calm app and it's really changed my view of meditation. You can choose the focus of your session, they're usually pretty short, and there's constant guidance - keeping your mind active while your body find stillness. The app also has a reminder function that will go off at a certain time  each day, helping you fall into a routine. For me, meditation is a super unique time of total calm and stillness, which is really difficult to find at any other time in my day, making it a critical time to reset and rejuvenate. I highly recommend it!  

Okay, signing off for now...more to come later! xx C