Contact Ivory

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3430 Connecticut Avenue NW #11335
Washington, DC, 20008
United States

I’m Ivory Howard, a yoga and Pilates instructor who is making things easier for you by helping busy, professional women like you workout consistently and reclaim their health and fitness.

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Filtering by Tag: Props

7 best fitness tips for busy women

Ivory Howard

Here are my 7 best fitness tips for busy women who want to workout consistently and reclaim their health with ease.

1. Exercise everyday. Making time for physical activity helps you prioritize wellness, put your priorities first, and quiet the negatives influences in your life.

2. If you haven't found a workout you enjoy yet, walk everyday. It's a physical activity cheat code.

3. Focus on your practice before investing in props and accessories. It will take sometime before you know what you like and don’t like. Once you’ve been practicing for sometime, you’ll know what you need for your personal practice. When you’r ready, here's my list of recommended supplies for beginner and experienced students.

4. If you don't have time for an hour-long class, try doing child's pose, sun salutation A and sun salutation B, and corpse pose in the morning to start your day.

5. Rest is essential. Take your rest days seriously.

6. Think of one small thing you can do RIGHT NOW to reach your goal and do it. Don't wait. Just do that one small thing. Working out consistently is just a series of small things like picking out a workout outfit before bed so you don't have to decide in the morning or working out for 10 minutes because that's all you have time or energy for.

7. Try plant-based protein and spread it out throughout the day so that it's in every meal and snack. Here's a list of protein-rich sources:

Vegetables - broccoli, spinach, asparagus, artichokes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, greens

Fruits - guava, mulberries, blackberries, nectarines

Beans - lentils, chickpeas, edamame, soybeans, peas, legumes

Grains - quinoa, oats, wild rice, sprouted grains, corn

Seeds - pumpkin, chia, hemp

Nuts - peanuts, almonds



Recommended supplies for new yoga students

Ivory Howard

What supplies do you need to practice yoga? If you’re new to yoga and just starting out, practice on a basic yoga mat before investing in a premium mat or props. It will take sometime before you know what you like and don’t like. Once you’ve been practicing for sometime, you’ll know what supplies you need for your personal practice.

Yoga blocks are a great tool for beginner and experienced students but what blocks should you purchase? Would you like a standard size? Curved blocks? Or mini blocks? When you develop greater body awareness and understand your personal practice better, you’ll know the answers to these questions.

As you get to know your practice, modify yoga poses as needed and use everyday items at home as substitutes for yoga props and accessories. Need a yoga block? Try a book or a water bottle. Need a yoga strap? Try a bath towel.

When you know the needs of your personal practice better, consider activewear, blocks and straps. I’ve also added several premium mats, towels, light free weights, ankle and wrist weights, an eye pillow, an aromatherapy eye mask, a versatile pillow, and a sauna blanket to my home practice. You may also like to add a bolster and a meditation cushion to your practice.

Here’s a full list of yoga supplies that I recommend for beginner and experienced students.

Are you new to yoga? Let me know if you have any questions. You also can see my responses to several frequently asked questions from new students on YouTube.



Recommended Supplies for Home Yoga Practice

Ivory Howard

It’s a new year! This is the perfect opportunity to save money on fitness mats, equipment, and accessories.

To help you cut through the noise, I've curated a list of my top deals for fitness enthusiasts including:

  • Activewear

  • Fitness mats

  • Yoga blocks and straps

  • Meditation accessories

  • Water bottles

  • Sauna blankets

🧘🏾‍♀️Blogilates (15% off)

💪 Yoga Design Lab

🤸🏾‍♀️ Ostrich Pillow (10% off)

🔥 Higher Dose (Save up to $715)

Feel free to ask if you need any last minute advice about new year’s deals. I'm always here. Cheers to saving.