StyleSpy with Katrina Szish

I realized how serious this Red Carpet Workout was going to be when last night I was instructed to "get some real sneakers."

And to think that for years I believed my Nike Air Rifts were real sneakers.   

Meet Alex Reznik, the former Russian Army trainer turned holistic fitness guru, who has created The Red Carpet Workout just for Style Spy and InStyle.com.

In addition to learning about sneakers last night, I was weighed (I am demanding a re-weigh tomorrow when I have had adequate time to recover from falling off the food wagon during Thanksgiving) and measured -- both with a tape measure and a body fat calculator (I will not be sharing those numbers) -- and debriefed on what Alex's customized Red Carpet Workout entails.  Then I was led through a Pilates-focused cross-training workout by Alicia, the Complete Body fitness manager, whose soft spoken style belies her hardcore, meticulous workout ethic.  In other words, she kicked my butt.

Alex has assigned an entire team to monitor my every move.  I'm simultaneously terrified and thrilled.  I will be working out with a trainer three to four times per week (while Alex oversees), of which at least one session will focus on Pilates exercises for lengthening lines and strengthening my (wimpy) core.  I will be doing a minimum of 150 minutes of cardio per week, right here:

The weekly cardio requirement jumps to 200 minutes if I can only manage to meet with a trainer twice.  I despise cardio.

But here's where it gets interesting:  My weekly routine will also include meditation and relaxation exercises.  Logging time in the gym's steam room is actually a requirement, as is adequate sleep.  Alex's fitness philosophy is a comprehensive mind-body experience (hence the name Complete Body Development).  While working to strengthen and tone my body, we will be doing the same for my mind -- but not in a New Age-y or wavy gravy way (that would send me running for the hills).   

It turns out one of the key components of this process is stress reduction -- something from which all of us, no doubt, can benefit.  Did you know that stress makes you fat?  I didn't.  Apparently stress increases the release of cortisol (dubbed the "stress hormone") into the body, which -- according to Alicia, Alex and myriad medical researchers -- raises blood pressure and blood sugar levels, ultimately encouraging fat storage. 

So today I am trying not to stress about how bad it is to be stressed, especially because I am always stressed.  I am also enjoying the pain in my abs and thighs, because it means I am finally headed in the right direction. 

After work, it's off for 50 minutes of cardio, followed by a healthy dinner (more on the whole food concept tomorrow) and perhaps some downtime with Mr. Husband...if I can stay awake that long.