by thinkmarsh | Oct 20, 2017 | class review, cycling, dancing, exercise, fitness, travel, water sports
When travelling, I love to use my free time to prioritise fitness and try new things. I spent a lot of time researching different fitness trends in Chicago that were not commonly seen in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to try them all. Here is what I suggest you do next time you visit The Windy City.
AIR® class in River North
This studio offers beginner/foundation to advanced aerial exercise classes, such as Flow and Core. The fabric, called a hammock, hangs from the ceiling and can be twisted together for additional strength or extended to fully suspend your entire body. Don’t worry, it really is strong enough to support you while laying horizontal a few feet off of the ground. Alexis taught my class and was very good at explaining which ways we were to flip our bodies up and around in the fabric. The two other women in the class had been to the studio before and were much more confident with their ability, while I had never done anything like this. (I did a cocoon class at Gymbox once but that was just for relaxation). Within the first few minutes of class, I was already hanging upside-down during the warm up. It was such a strange sensation to feel the pressure of the hammock on my lower back as the blood started to rush to my head. It took me some time to learn to trust the hammock and relax into each movement. Alexis, a former dancer, taught us a few separate sequences to build a one minute routine, which we tried at the end of our 50 minute class (click here to watch a video of Alexis demonstrating). Unfortunately, my lack of upper body strength hindered my ability to do several of the moves. I was sweating profusely throughout the class, had to take a few breaks, and definitely felt the session in my arms the next day. Classes can hold up to 22 people at the River North location. The studio has recently launched Floor Lab too, which is a barre-inspired workout session that covers plyometrics, planks, and push ups.
 |
| My most advanced move |
AquaMermaid
 |
| Lovely mermaids before we plunged in the pool |
 |
| Learning to float |
What woman didn’t dream of being a mermaid when she was a little girl (or even now)? Splash was one of my favourite movies growing up. I used to swim like Madison in all my friends’ pools. When I saw I could do this as an adult with a real tail, I knew I had to try it. AquaMermaid Chicago offers classes on Sunday mornings at UIC Sports and Fitness Center. The classes can also be arranged for birthday or bachelorette parties. I roped two of my good friends, Lisa and Pattie, to try it out with me at the Hilton Chicago pool. All I can say is that I was smiling from ear to ear from the moment the tails were pulled out of the bag. Our swim instructor, Cora, was very friendly and patient as she taught us how to float with the tails on, swim from one end of the pool to the other, and how to do a somersault. She also tried to teach us how to do a dolphin circle (not sure if that is exactly what is was called. We had to do a backwards somersault while keeping our legs straight) towards the end of our session. But by this point, we were getting tired and water kept going up our noses. A few moves were challenging for us to do because we only had one lane of the lap pool available to move about. We made it work though, as you can see from the photos. We all got a few foot cramps from the monofin so make sure you eat a banana earlier in the day and take the time to warm up before the class. Overall, this was an absolute blast!
Explore the 606
Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to The 606 but I absolutely love the idea of it. It is an abandoned railway line that now provide 2.7 miles of trails for walkers, runners, and cyclists. Along the way there are art installations and green space. You can have a look at all the maps here.
Divvy, Chicago’s version of Boris Bikes
OK, yes you can rent bikes in London, but I didn’t realize Chicago offered this too until my last few days. I would have much rather ridden a bike around town that taking the subway. You can see things from a pace riding through neighbourhoods rather than from the train line. Prices start at about $10/day (or $99 for the year), where a one way ticket on the L train is $2.25 and a one day L pass is $10. In Oak Park, the suburb where I was staying, I saw several commuting cyclist and numerous cycle lanes. The only downside to the bike rentals is there isn’t a helmet included, but you could probably rent one of those too from a local bike shop. If you are confident on a bike and up for exploration, I highly recommend trying these out.
There were many more things I wanted to try, like a kayak architecture tour and indoor surfing class, but I just ran out of time. If you have a suggestion on other active travel for Chicago, please leave a comment below.
by Mollie Millington | Oct 20, 2017 | class review, cycling, dancing, exercise, fitness, travel, water sports
When travelling, I love to use my free time to prioritise fitness and try new things. I spent a lot of time researching different fitness trends in Chicago that were not commonly seen in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to try them all. Here is what I suggest you do next time you visit The Windy City.
AIR® class in River North
This studio offers beginner/foundation to advanced aerial exercise classes, such as Flow and Core. The fabric, called a hammock, hangs from the ceiling and can be twisted together for additional strength or extended to fully suspend your entire body. Don’t worry, it really is strong enough to support you while laying horizontal a few feet off of the ground. Alexis taught my class and was very good at explaining which ways we were to flip our bodies up and around in the fabric. The two other women in the class had been to the studio before and were much more confident with their ability, while I had never done anything like this. (I did a cocoon class at Gymbox once but that was just for relaxation). Within the first few minutes of class, I was already hanging upside-down during the warm up. It was such a strange sensation to feel the pressure of the hammock on my lower back as the blood started to rush to my head. It took me some time to learn to trust the hammock and relax into each movement. Alexis, a former dancer, taught us a few separate sequences to build a one minute routine, which we tried at the end of our 50 minute class (click here to watch a video of Alexis demonstrating). Unfortunately, my lack of upper body strength hindered my ability to do several of the moves. I was sweating profusely throughout the class, had to take a few breaks, and definitely felt the session in my arms the next day. Classes can hold up to 22 people at the River North location. The studio has recently launched Floor Lab too, which is a barre-inspired workout session that covers plyometrics, planks, and push ups.
|
| My most advanced move |
AquaMermaid
|
| Lovely mermaids before we plunged in the pool |
|
| Learning to float |
What woman didn’t dream of being a mermaid when she was a little girl (or even now)? Splash was one of my favourite movies growing up. I used to swim like Madison in all my friends’ pools. When I saw I could do this as an adult with a real tail, I knew I had to try it. AquaMermaid Chicago offers classes on Sunday mornings at UIC Sports and Fitness Center. The classes can also be arranged for birthday or bachelorette parties. I roped two of my good friends, Lisa and Pattie, to try it out with me at the Hilton Chicago pool. All I can say is that I was smiling from ear to ear from the moment the tails were pulled out of the bag. Our swim instructor, Cora, was very friendly and patient as she taught us how to float with the tails on, swim from one end of the pool to the other, and how to do a somersault. She also tried to teach us how to do a dolphin circle (not sure if that is exactly what is was called. We had to do a backwards somersault while keeping our legs straight) towards the end of our session. But by this point, we were getting tired and water kept going up our noses. A few moves were challenging for us to do because we only had one lane of the lap pool available to move about. We made it work though, as you can see from the photos. We all got a few foot cramps from the monofin so make sure you eat a banana earlier in the day and take the time to warm up before the class. Overall, this was an absolute blast!
Explore the 606
Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to The 606 but I absolutely love the idea of it. It is an abandoned railway line that now provide 2.7 miles of trails for walkers, runners, and cyclists. Along the way there are art installations and green space. You can have a look at all the maps here.
Divvy, Chicago’s version of Boris Bikes
OK, yes you can rent bikes in London, but I didn’t realize Chicago offered this too until my last few days. I would have much rather ridden a bike around town that taking the subway. You can see things from a pace riding through neighbourhoods rather than from the train line. Prices start at about $10/day (or $99 for the year), where a one way ticket on the L train is $2.25 and a one day L pass is $10. In Oak Park, the suburb where I was staying, I saw several commuting cyclist and numerous cycle lanes. The only downside to the bike rentals is there isn’t a helmet included, but you could probably rent one of those too from a local bike shop. If you are confident on a bike and up for exploration, I highly recommend trying these out.
There were many more things I wanted to try, like a kayak architecture tour and indoor surfing class, but I just ran out of time. If you have a suggestion on other active travel for Chicago, please leave a comment below.
by thinkmarsh | Sep 29, 2017 | class review, dancing
When my alarm went off at 4:45am, I wasn’t sure if going to a rave before work was a good idea. However, it was the autumnal equinox and there was sunshine in the forecast. I got myself out of bed, ate some breakfast and ordered an Uber to get me to the Shard in a hurry. Morning Gloryville (MG) had already started and I needed to be there before dawn.
|
| Driving up to the Shard in the dark of night |
It has been years since I went to a MG event. That was back in the day when they were just starting out by renting empty warehouses in Shoreditch. With the lights on and being 100% sober, those events were a bit more surreal because you felt like you were in a club but could just see what it really looked like during the day. I didn’t know exactly what to expect at the Shard event aside from an amazing view of the sunrise. My only time there was to take part in a yoga class a few years ago.
 |
| Good morning London! |
My friends Corey and Eileen got there at the start. From the 5:30am to about 6:45am, there were several morning rituals involving chanting, drums, and energy releases to welcome in the Equinox at sunrise. I was glad that I chose to sleep a bit later and arrive just before sunrise. It was the best of both worlds- to have more energy and see London slowly awaken. I wasn’t really with it yet when I arrived so I think too much time with the chanting might have put me back to sleep. I didn’t realize this was part of the schedule for the day. Next time there is a special edition MG, I will look more closely at the timetable.
 |
| Tarot reading area |
The 69th floor is a square with stairs in the middle so only two of the sides really faced the sun. Even though MG started super early, there was still a big crowd ready to take part in the ancient traditions. Another side of the square had the entrance from the lift and a bar with plenty of food and drink to buy with hardly any queues. All the things available were very healthy selections of smoothie bowls, vegan cakes, and botanicals (virgin) cocktails. The fourth side had beautiful face painting, tarot readings, a charity, and complimentary massages. There wasn’t a booking system for any of these meaning you had to stand in a line but you made some new friends in the queue while waiting. I tried to book in for a massage because there was a paper signup at first, but it was too confusing after the rituals ran overtime. I just wanted to dance. A guy I saw get up from a massage looked to be in absolute bliss. I will have to make it a priority next time.
 |
| Vegan sugar-free cakes |
The dance floor facing east was packed every time I did a lap of the floor. The weather that day was perfect for our bird’s eye view over the city. You could see very far, and even observe fog rolling steaming up on the river. At the top of the Shard, the bright sunshine was a natural way to light the dance floor and build up your positive energy for the day. We could not have been any luckier!
 |
| Here comes the sun, little darling |
There were a few kids there, which at first struck me as odd, but if there is a sober rave when kids would normally be up at home, why not bring them along?
 |
| Adorable dragon baby princess |
If you needed fresh air or space to chill, the open air on the 73rd floor gave you the opportunity to relax or take part in one of three yoga classes. Most of the MG events will have free yoga, so plan ahead better than I did and try to find out the schedule when you arrive. I missed out because I didn’t realize the class times until it was too late to join.
 |
| Free yoga |
Sadly I had to leave for work at about 8am. This is when a live band took over from the DJ. The party lasted until 9:30am for those who had a more flexible day. If you had been able to stay the whole time, you would have definitely got your money’s worth.
I am a dancing fool so I will attend another MG and bring my husband along. We never seem to make it to the clubs because we are old but this is a good compromise if you don’t have to be at work until 9am. A cocktail would have been nice but I can still have a good time without it. MG holds events all over London and across the globe so you don’t have too much of an excuse not to come along.. They are always looking to expand too if you want to suggest a venue near you.
 |
| Morning ritual facing west, giving you an idea of the costumes people wore |
The next MG is Thursday 5th October at Ministry of Sound with Summer of Love theme. Fancy dress was in abundance at the Shard but there were people in their work clothes too. The Equinox theme was nature/ying & yang so you saw nymphs, muses, zebras, earthy hippies, a family of dragons (see the princess above) and more. It was very much come as you are which meant there was no pressure to look a certain way. Glitter seemed to be a must! And there will be a glitter station at the Summer of Love too. I am still finding glitter everywhere which is a wonderful reminder of the fun I had.
Thanks to Morning Gloryville for the complimentary ticket. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Sep 29, 2017 | class review, dancing
When my alarm went off at 4:45am, I wasn’t sure if going to a rave before work was a good idea. However, it was the autumnal equinox and there was sunshine in the forecast. I got myself out of bed, ate some breakfast and ordered an Uber to get me to the Shard in a hurry. Morning Gloryville (MG) had already started and I needed to be there before dawn.
|
| Driving up to the Shard in the dark of night |
It has been years since I went to a MG event. That was back in the day when they were just starting out by renting empty warehouses in Shoreditch. With the lights on and being 100% sober, those events were a bit more surreal because you felt like you were in a club but could just see what it really looked like during the day. I didn’t know exactly what to expect at the Shard event aside from an amazing view of the sunrise. My only time there was to take part in a yoga class a few years ago.
|
| Good morning London! |
My friends Corey and Eileen got there at the start. From the 5:30am to about 6:45am, there were several morning rituals involving chanting, drums, and energy releases to welcome in the Equinox at sunrise. I was glad that I chose to sleep a bit later and arrive just before sunrise. It was the best of both worlds- to have more energy and see London slowly awaken. I wasn’t really with it yet when I arrived so I think too much time with the chanting might have put me back to sleep. I didn’t realize this was part of the schedule for the day. Next time there is a special edition MG, I will look more closely at the timetable.
|
| Tarot reading area |
The 69th floor is a square with stairs in the middle so only two of the sides really faced the sun. Even though MG started super early, there was still a big crowd ready to take part in the ancient traditions. Another side of the square had the entrance from the lift and a bar with plenty of food and drink to buy with hardly any queues. All the things available were very healthy selections of smoothie bowls, vegan cakes, and botanicals (virgin) cocktails. The fourth side had beautiful face painting, tarot readings, a charity, and complimentary massages. There wasn’t a booking system for any of these meaning you had to stand in a line but you made some new friends in the queue while waiting. I tried to book in for a massage because there was a paper signup at first, but it was too confusing after the rituals ran overtime. I just wanted to dance. A guy I saw get up from a massage looked to be in absolute bliss. I will have to make it a priority next time.
|
| Vegan sugar-free cakes |
The dance floor facing east was packed every time I did a lap of the floor. The weather that day was perfect for our bird’s eye view over the city. You could see very far, and even observe fog rolling steaming up on the river. At the top of the Shard, the bright sunshine was a natural way to light the dance floor and build up your positive energy for the day. We could not have been any luckier!
|
| Here comes the sun, little darling |
There were a few kids there, which at first struck me as odd, but if there is a sober rave when kids would normally be up at home, why not bring them along?
|
| Adorable dragon baby princess |
If you needed fresh air or space to chill, the open air on the 73rd floor gave you the opportunity to relax or take part in one of three yoga classes. Most of the MG events will have free yoga, so plan ahead better than I did and try to find out the schedule when you arrive. I missed out because I didn’t realize the class times until it was too late to join.
|
| Free yoga |
Sadly I had to leave for work at about 8am. This is when a live band took over from the DJ. The party lasted until 9:30am for those who had a more flexible day. If you had been able to stay the whole time, you would have definitely got your money’s worth.
I am a dancing fool so I will attend another MG and bring my husband along. We never seem to make it to the clubs because we are old but this is a good compromise if you don’t have to be at work until 9am. A cocktail would have been nice but I can still have a good time without it. MG holds events all over London and across the globe so you don’t have too much of an excuse not to come along.. They are always looking to expand too if you want to suggest a venue near you.
|
| Morning ritual facing west, giving you an idea of the costumes people wore |
The next MG is Thursday 5th October at Ministry of Sound with Summer of Love theme. Fancy dress was in abundance at the Shard but there were people in their work clothes too. The Equinox theme was nature/ying & yang so you saw nymphs, muses, zebras, earthy hippies, a family of dragons (see the princess above) and more. It was very much come as you are which meant there was no pressure to look a certain way. Glitter seemed to be a must! And there will be a glitter station at the Summer of Love too. I am still finding glitter everywhere which is a wonderful reminder of the fun I had.
Thanks to Morning Gloryville for the complimentary ticket. All opinions are honest and my own.
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