Wellness

There’s an App for That

WELLNESS GURUS SHARE THEIR FAVORITE TECHNOLOGY APPS FOR HEALTHY LIVING

STORY: Nicole Letts

Technology is a practical tool for staying fit and well. For one thing, it’s always with us, whether through smart watches or handheld devices. For another, tens of thousands of apps are available at our fingertips for helping us live well. You might have your own app tool belt, but do you ever wonder what kind of wellness apps your go-to fitness and healthy lifestyle experts use? Here, we spoke with some of our local favorites to get insight into their top apps for mind, body and spirit.

MEDITATE ON THIS: Balance As a yogi, Buckhead-based Bring it Om Yoga Studio co-owner Leticia Lopez understands the importance of finding Zen, especially in the form of meditation. “Being forced to be inward has given me a lot of joy and [personal] gains for exploring myself. Meditation is part of my wellness, health and fitness routine because it makes me present and intentional in my workouts,” she says. To guide her meditation practice, Lopez turns to Balance as her number one tool. “I also use its sleep meditation every night. Sleeping well is the best muscle recovery ever,” she explains. balanceapp.com

FITNESS PARTNER: Peloton App Tasha White is the founder and owner of Buckhead’s highly anticipated new cycling, strength and yoga studio Cycmode. As she wraps up the buildout of her own space, she turns to veteran fitness studios such as Peloton for her at-home workout needs. The app doesn’t require a Peloton bike; users can utilize their own equipment and access workouts ranging from yoga to running. “The Peloton app exposes me to other [workout] formats,” she says. The app also allows White to complement her regular Cycmode workouts with athome options that hook her up with other cycling enthusiasts. “I love being able to connect with others virtually who share the same passion for cycling and have similar fitness goals.” onepeloton.com/app

MUSIC MOTIVATION: Spotify Fitness instructor Hadley Hickner teaches various barre classes at Buckhead’s Forme Studios and West Midtown’s The Daily. As a veteran teacher, Hickner says music is an integral part of her instruction, as well as her own wellness, which is why she names Spotify as her top app. “I use it to make my healthy habits more enjoyable,” she says. While Hickner relies on Spotify for her classes, she also turns to it throughout her day. “With an endless library of music and podcasts, I use Spotify to carefully craft playlists for my fitness classes, work day, meditation time, daily commute and even daily life activities like cooking, cleaning or hanging out with friends,” she says. spotify.com/us FOOD AND DRINK TRACKING: My Fitness Pal and Waterlogged Buckhead Registered Dietician Julie Taube discovered the best way to keep her clients on track was through My Fitness Pal. This free app allows you to record everything from nutrient and caloric intake to daily exercise. According to Taube, the app is user-friendly because it is personalized and easy to navigate. “The database is large, which makes it simple to find a variety of foods and store frequent food choices,” she says. In addition to My Fitness Pal, Taube also suggests water-tracking apps such as Waterlogged. “Water is such an important component to our daily nutrition, and logging water throughout the day is motivating for my clients.” Like My Fitness Pal, users who implement the app can keep track of their healthy choices. It’s like having a motivational speaker in your pocket. myfitnesspal.com, waterlogged.com n

On the Bright Side

Life and fitness coach Idella Veal leads with positive thinking

STORY: Karina Antenucci PHOTO: Sara Hanna

Idella Veal has experienced firsthand the power of the mind. Having lived with undiagnosed hypochondria since childhood, in the late ’80s, she went to her doctor anxious and complaining about not feeling well. “He said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with you. You must learn how to relax,’” she recalls.

He subsequently sent her to a meditation expert he knew to learn how to meditate. “I know that saved and changed my life forever. The anxious thinking was making me physically sick. Through daily meditation, I identified the root cause. As I felt an anxiety attack coming on, I could sit back and observe what thoughts caused it and allow it to subside and stop,” says Veal, a 23-year Buckhead resident.

Inspired by her own experiences with the mind-body connection, Veal has dedicated her life to helping others live well. A health and fitness coach since 1987 and certified through The American College of Sports Medicine, Veal provides personal training for individuals and groups out of Anytime Fitness on Pharr Road. After years of studies and a licensed practitioner certification program at Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta in Brookhaven, she also became a spiritual life coach in 2015. Veal works with clients on deepbreathing techniques, meditation and relaxation, among other things.

“My mission is to inspire and empower others to thrive daily in vibrant, healthy living, providing tools for total personal transformation that are effective, safe and fun,” she says.

What is the biggest lesson you learned while becoming a life coach? I learned to be a good listener and to meet people where they are in life. How does negativity affect the body? It’s all about energy. We’re all energetic beings, housed in bodies that give us a human experience on this planet. When you’re in the energy of joy, love, freedom, fun, compassion, appreciation and gratitude, the energy in your body is also radiating and vibrating in wholeness, divine well-being and abundant health. Your energy frequency is high. If you are feeling fear, despair, anger, guilt, hate, look out—those emotions created from low vibrational thoughts are sending negative energy throughout your body. Give yourself permission to have a pity party, lasting for a few hours to a couple of days, talk about what happened, then try to move from that low vibrational space to finding something to be grateful for, to love and forgive.

How do you help guide people to change their way of thinking? Our imagination is the most powerful creative tool. Some use it to create our best lives, and some use it to unknowingly create turmoil in life. I ask my clients, “How would you like to see your life?” Write it down. “How would it feel to be in that energy?” Imagine that. Everything in life is created twice, first in the mind, then in the physical manifestation.

What is your coaching process? First of all, all sessions are strictly confidential. I really listen, giving my undivided attention. Many times clients talk about situations and circumstances bothering them, and [I usually discover] it’s something a lot deeper. I ask questions, teach truth principles and offer some suggestions and tools for uncovering and identifying the root cause. I guide the process and do a healing, affirmation prayer.

What does your personal fitness routine look like? My routine changes daily. It might be resistance training, aerobics, running or cycling, stretching, plyometrics or floor work. I enjoy cycling through our gorgeous Buckhead and Sandy Springs neighborhoods. I get around 25 miles in on my bike ride. I also love running around Chastain Park. I have run the Peachtree Road Race 32 years straight. This year will be my 33rd. n

IDELLA VEAL

404.262.1133 idellaveal.com

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ReynoldsLakeOconee.com/Buckhead

(855) 706.1690

*Excludes holidays and subject to availability; club credit for promotional purposes only. Real estate and other amenities are owned by Oconee Land Development Company LLC and/or other subsidiaries and affiliates of MetLife, Inc. (collectively, “OLDC” or “Sponsor”) and by unrelated third parties. Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties, LLC (“RLOP”) is the exclusive listing agent for OLDC-owned properties in Reynolds Lake Oconee. RLOP also represents buyers and sellers of properties in Reynolds Lake Oconee which OLDC does not own (“Resale Properties”). OLDC is not involved in the marketing or sale of Resale Properties. This is not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to buy OLDC-owned real estate in Reynolds Lake Oconee by residents of HI, ID, OR, or any other jurisdiction where prohibited by law. As to such states, any offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy applies only to Resale Properties. Access and rights to recreational amenities may be subject to fees, membership dues, or other limitations. Information provided is believed accurate as of the date printed but may be subject to change from time to time. The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee is a private commercial enterprise and use of the facilities is subject to the applicable fees and policies of the operator. For OLDC properties, obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. Void where prohibited by law. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR DISQUALIFIED THIS OFFERING. An offering statement has been filed with the Iowa Real Estate Commission and a copy of such statement is available from OLDC upon request. OLDC properties have been registered with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen at 1000 Washington Street, Suite 710, Boston, Massachusetts 02118-6100 and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection at 1700 G Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20552. Certain OLDC properties are registered with the Department of Law of the State of New York. THE COMPLETE OFFERING TERMS ARE IN AN OFFERING PLAN AVAILABLE FROM SPONSOR. FILE NO. H14-0001. Notice to New York Residents: The developer of Reynolds Lake Oconee and its principals are not incorporated in, located in, or resident in the state of New York. No offering is being made in or directed to any person or entity in the state of New York or to New York residents by or on behalf of the developer/offeror or anyone acting with the developer/offeror’s knowledge. No such offering, or purchase or sale of real estate by or to residents of the state of New York, shall take place until all registration and filing requirements under the Martin Act and the Attorney General’s regulations are complied with, a written exemption is obtained pursuant to an application is granted pursuant to and in accordance with Cooperative Policy Statements #1 or #7, or a “No-Action” request is granted.

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