Fitness Magazine Meet and Tweet #FitBlogNYC by Gia Alvarez

This week I had the opportunity to attend my first Blog Conference. FITNESS Magazine’s Blogger Meet and Tweet.

There were fabulous sponsors

There were lots of fit and fabulous friends

Hi Jess, Ali and Ashley!

There were new and inspirational faces

photo courtesy of Steven Meyer Photography

Great to meet you Anne, Julie, Courtney and Tina. a

And of course great to laugh with you Miss Theodora

There was food

There were shots

photo courtesy of Theodora

of V-8 VFusion Smoothies!

There was Tabura Style booty shakin

photos courtesy of Steven Meyer Photography

It was a complete blast …

The event’s sponsors were showcased in various booths around the conference hall. We were given a passport as we entered and in order to collect our amaze-balls swag bag we had to get a stamp from each booth.

Simultaneous with this marketing mingle there was a full line up of speakers and events. From “The Real Deal on Carbs and Cleanses” to “Gym to Street Fashion Sense”, it was a full day of information. I obviously geeked out on all this info. I love me some healthy living knowledge. 3 parts stood out for me.

Intro by FITNESS Editor in Chief Betty Wong and Mia Hamm. Betty said the greatest little gem “Wear your sweat proudly. We EARN our sweat, from the hard work we put in” Love that.

Mia (Who is a twin mama. Twin mamas unite!) later signed a soccer ball for G1. She was adorable, talking about her 5 year old twin girls … I had originally planned to get the soccer ball for G2, but after being near Mia’s infectious girl power vibes, I opted to get the memorabilia for G1. I hope she is a FIT and strong woman someday …

Hi Mia. I dig you

Following these ladies was A.J. Jacobs (who is ALSO a twin parent! Awesomeness)

A.J. is the author of “Drop Dead Healthy“, a book that chronicles his self proclaimed “quest for bodily perfection”. A task that took him through dozens of different workout and diets from Strollerczing to extreme chewing. Throughout this mission he learned a bunch of healthy behaviors and some no so healthy … but these 7 were his top takeaway.

Avoid the sedentary life – A.J. says “Sitting is the new smoking.”
Utilize contextual exercise – do squats with your kids, take the stairs, fidget more. Find movement in your everyday context.
Quantify – his research tells him that fit people who are into the numbers. Meaning use a pedometer, Garmin, fit bit. Become obsessed with quantifying your movements
Harness the power of peer pressure – Let your friends and networks pressure you into being healthy. Use social media for motivation, make yourself accountable to your friends by committing to a workout with them
Eat Mostly Plants – we have heard this time and time again. Thanks Michael Pollan for that movement, I wholeheartedly agree.
Respect your older self – take care now to be healthy later.
Limit Noise – Noise causes stress, stress is bad for your health.

Alright, 6/7 I can honestly say I practice … As for limiting noise. Not so much. Between living in Manhattan and twinsanity, there is no silence in my world. And A.J. HOW is there any in yours? You’re a twin dad? I actually laughed out loud when he suggested wearing noise canceling headphones at home. In my dreams … Its OK though A.J. I respect you immensely for the time and research you put into your quest for perfection.

Finally the blogger in me loved the panel on How to Turn your Blog into a Business led by some highly respectable ladies. Carla Birinberg, Kelly Olexa, Julie Fagen and Tina Haupert. The girls know how to make a blog successful, and I was all ears!

Photo courtesy of Steven Meyer

Some GEMS that I will be acting on are:

Create a media kit to market yourself with – a 1 page brag sheet of who you are and why you are awesome!
When pitching an opportunity be sure and pitch something that is uniquely yours. Something no one else can deliver
Over deliver – treat everything as an opportunity
Find your niche and stick with it, dont try and imitate other blogs or sites
Use Google Alerts!

I would like to thank FITNESS Magazine and FitFluential for inviting me to spend my Wednesday expanding my FITNESS mind! I had a phenomenal day.

OH and the swag bag isnt half bad either

Sonya Kashuk bag filled with CamelBack water bottles, Vichy beauty products, Laura Geller makeup ,DogEared jewelry, Schick razors, Birkenstock footwear, Reebok sneakers and socks, Oakley sunglasses, SunMaid raisins, Pure Protein bars, Fiber one cookies and SO MUCH MORE!

Score!