Memorial Day Weekend: Fun for everyone
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Posted under: Beer, Entertainment, Fitness, Memorial Day, Music, Sports & Entertainment, Summer
What will you do with your three-day weekend?
Chicago has so many events, it may be hard to decide!
Friday, May 27
- Prost! German Beers of Chicago
- What? A trolley pub crawl hosted by the Chicago History Museum
- When? May 27, 6 – 9 p.m.
- Where? The tour will visit several of the best bierstubes in Chicago
- Highlights include:
- History lessons while drinking beer
- Drink specials
- More information: http://www.westmontbbq.com
- Nerds at Heart’s Holidate
- What? A singles bash
- When? May 27, 7 p.m.
- Where? Hidden Shamrock
- Highlights include:
- Board games and trivia
- Ice cream tasting
- Beach-reading giveaways
- More information: http://www.yelp.com
- Red, White & Bar-B-Q
- What? A BBQ competition
- When? May 27, 28 and 29
- Where? Ty Warner Park in Westmont, Ill.
- Highlights include:
- Three days of free live music
- Chili-tasting contest
- Cooking demonstrations
- More information: http://www.chicagohistory.org
- Cubs games
- What? A baseball game against the Pirates (May 27, 28, 29) or the Astros (May 30)
- When? May 27, 28, 29 and 30
- Where? Wrigley Field
- Highlights include:
- Free T-shirts for the first 10,000 fans on Memorial Day
- More information: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com
Saturday, May 28
- Soldier Field 10 mile
- What? A 10-mile race
- When May 28, 7:30 a.m.
- Soldier Field
- Highlights include:
- A race shirt and goody bag
- Finish on the 50-yard line
- The Hut-Hut Hike, a non-competitive walk
- More information: http://www.soldierfield10.com
- Yoga at the Lincoln Park Zoo
- What? Outdoor yoga at the zoo
- When? May 28, 9 – 10 a.m.
- Where? Lincoln Park Zoo
- Highlights include:
- A view of the city skyline
- An opportunity to learn the basics of yoga
- Connection with nature
- More information: http://www.lpzoo.org
- Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival
- What? A music festival with entertainment, arts, crafts and food
- When? May 28 and 29
- Where? N. Sheffield between Belmont and School
- Highlights include:
- Ten bands in two days
- More information: http://www.chicagoevents.com
- Memorial Day Parade
- What? A parade to honor those serving and those who have served
- When? May 28, noon
- Where? State St. from Lake St. to Van Buren
- Highlights include:
- A free celebration
- One of the largest Memorial Day parades in the nation
- More information: http://www.cityofchicago.org
- Green City Market
- What? An outdoor food market
- When? May 28
- Where? Lincoln Park between Clark and Stockton Drive
- Highlights include:
- Products from local farmers
- A cooking demonstration by Tim Cottini of Cafe Ba Ba Reeba
- More information: http://www.greencitymarket.org
- Navy Pier Fireworks
- What? Fireworks fun
- When? May 28, 10:15 p.m.
- Where? Navy Pier
- Highlights include:
- Music by B96
- Proximity to restaurants, shopping and Lake Michigan
- More information: http://www.navypier.com
Sunday, May 29
- Bike the Drive
- What? A 30-mile bike ride
- When? May 29, 5:30 – 9:30 a.m.
- Where? Lake Shore Drive
- Highlights include:
- A car-free bike ride
- A festival from 8 a.m. – noon
- Fruit, water and snacks at rest stops
- More information: http://www.bikethedrive.org
- Boozehounds
- What? A chance to enjoy a drink while your dog plays and enjoys treats
- When? May 29, 1 – 4 p.m.
- Where? Uptown Lounge
- Highlights include:
- Drink specials
- Socializing with friends and pooches
- More information: http://www.yelp.com
Monday, May 30
- New Music Monday
- What? A concert in the park
- When? May 30
- Where? Millennium Park
- Highlights include:
- Justin Townes Earle
- Andre Williams and the Goldstars
- A chance to discover new music
- More information: http://explorechicago.org
Taking the Barre: Chicago’s Trendy Workout Catches On
Taking the Barre: Chicago’s Trendy Workout Catches On
Taking the Barre: Chicago’s Trendy Workout Catches On
I can barely lift my arms over my head. It was hard to get out of bed this morning because my leg, stomach, back and arm muscles were screaming every time I moved. I took a barre class a couple of days ago and I’m still feeling the results.
A barre workout is a low-aerobic workout that targets your stomach, thighs, arms, and butt. Korey Karnes, 34, takes classes three times a week at Barre Bee Fit. She describes the routine as “Pilates meets yoga meets body-sculpting.”
Karnes was a former Exhale Spa Core Fusion “addict” who began taking barre classes because “it’s a great workout in an hour. You can go back to work without having to wash your hair,” she said.
Barre classes have gained popularity in the past two years in Chicago, with The Bar Method being one of the first studios to open in the city three years ago this week. Now there are several studios that offer variations of the workout throughout Chicago, suiting their class the needs of their clients.
The Bar Method system and other barre classes evolved from the Lotte Berk Method. Lotte Berk was a professional dancer who created the routine in the ’50s after suffering a back injury. One of her students, Lydia Bach, opened the Lotte Berk Method studio in Manhattan in 1971. In the 2001, Burr Leonard and Mimi Fleischman opened their flagship Bar Method studio in San Francisco, California. Barre classes gained popularity in the West Coast and slowly moved across the nation.
“Now they’re all over the West Coast, said Tami Conway, owner of The Daily Method in Chicago. “They’re every ten miles of each other.”
I took my first class with Catherine Wendel, one of the co-owners of The Bar Method in Lakeview. The mirrored studio looks like a ballet practice area, except it’s carpeted and there are small hand-held weights, foam cushions, and mats stacked to the side of the wall. The regular students walk in with impossibly straight posture, Madonna arms and Gwyneth Paltrow legs.
“If you come in three days a week, you see results in four weeks,” said Esther Kufrin, a trainer at The Bar Method who took the class with me. “I was a runner and I never felt this fit.”
We began the workout with stretches, push-ups and progressed to muscle-shaking isotonic routines. At one point, we were instructed to fold a piece of foam and squeeze it in between our thighs, scoop our stomachs in, keep our butts tight and pump up and down ever so slightly on the balls of our feet.
“The tops of your thighs should feel like they’re going to burst into flames,” Wendel said. They did.
“How are you doing?” whispered Beth Greisch, standing next to me at the ballet bar. Greisch is 52 and looks like you could grate cheese on her arms and thigh muscles. Like Karnes, she’s a workout junkie who likes barre classes because it’s “efficient” and “you don’t sweat.” She attends classes five days a week. “It doesn’t get any easier,” she says.
A Tale of Two Barre Classes from chicagoloopster on Vimeo.
A Tale of Two Barre Classes from chicagoloopster on Vimeo.
Barre classes in and around Chicago
- Akemi Fitness Method (Evanston)
- The Bar Method
- Barre Bee Fit
- Barre Burn at Equinox
- Core Barre Ballet and Core Floor and More at Indigo Studios
- The Dailey Method
Best in Fitness: Top 10 Gyms
Want a killer view while killing time on the treadmill? Or how about the ultimate place to get your ‘ohm’ on? Find your perfect match in our top 10 favorite fitness centers in the city, each excelling in their own area of expertise. No more excuses!
Staying Healthy in Winter: Loopster Takes a Look
The temperature drops, the jackets come out, and everyone begins worrying about staying health. The fears certainly aren’t unfounded. People are, in fact, most likely to have colds during the fall and winter, starting in late August or early September through March or April.
An estimated 5 to 20 percent of Americans contract influenza each year, according to the University of Chicago Medical Center, and during a one-year period it’s estimated that people in the U.S. will suffer one billion colds. The common cold, caused by a virus that inflames the membranes in the lining of the nose and throat, and there are more than 200 different viruses that can cause this.
Prolonged exposure to cold will inhibit the immune system, your first line of defense against colds. Winter also means an uptick in activity for certain viruses like the flu and strains of the common cold are more active during the winter months. Add to that the increased time spent indoors or in close contact with people during the colder months, and it’s not hard to see why so many people catch something undesirable during the winter season.
There are a variety of locations in the Loop where you can be vaccinated against the flu.
“It is very important people try to do anything to avoid these things,” said Dr. Scott Burger, a former emergency room doctor and current attending physician at Washington Aventis Hospital in Maryland.
In addition to the basics like keeping hand sanitizer ready to go or making sure not to share things, like cell phones, computers and drinking glasses, Burger also said to stand clear of those around with a cough or sneeze.
“Influenza can float through the air,” Burger said, while other viruses can hang in the air after a sneeze.
Another thing to keep in mind is to bundle up as much as possible. The body releases a lot of heat in the face and skull because of the tremendous blood supply there, so make sure to wear a hat and a scarf.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is also important to ward off the sniffles, Burger said.
In fact getting a light workout in if you are feeling under the weather can actually help fight off colds before they get worse. The increased heart rate gets the blood flowing, which will help move the virus out of your system.
And while the actual scientific-based health effects of that age-old cold remedy, chicken noodle soup, are hotly debated, there’s no question that a warm, nourishing soup can ease some of the discomfort. This recipe from Chicago Food Snob promises a great chicken soup, but if you don’t feel up to cooking, there are plenty of options in the Windy City to get your chicken soup fix.
Burger pointed out that if you are feeling under the weather and noticed some discolored mucus, you should hold off before rushing to the doctor’s office. It’s a common misconception, he explained, that it’s a sign the body need antibiotics, but that’s not always the case. Try to flush out your system with lots of fluids, use a vaporizer or neti pot. And call the doctor if the symptoms get worse or haven’t improved.
Above all else, Burger advised, get the flu shot. Contrary to popular rumors, you cannot get the flu from the shot and the shot is very effective.
According to the University of Chicago Medical Center, it’s especially important for elderly people and those with chronic medical conditions to get the influenza vaccine because the virus can cause complications that may develop into a more serious disease for those with compromised immune systems. Pregnant women, children and those who work in hospitals, nursing homes and chronic care facilities are also highly advised to get the vaccine.
If, despite your best efforts, you still manage to get sick, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of fluids, and taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen to help with pain or fever. Consult your physician before giving these medications to young children. Seek medical help if temperatures reach higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or symptoms last more than 10 days and/or aren’t relieved by over-the-counter medications.
