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Instructor Spotlight: Alicia Sokol
Alicia Sokol is a busy Mom, creator of the blog Weekly Greens, and an incredible instructor at barre3 Georgetown. (She’s also one of the chefs who contributes to our recipes!) Read on to get to know her a little bit better, in her own words.
I was the uncoordinated kid in high school who didn’t play sports at all. During college, I started running to relieve stress and quickly fell in love with it. By the time I was 30, I had completed a number of marathons and triathlons, but my joints didn’t feel healthy and strong. My body was telling me to slow down and do more strength training and restorative exercises. I dabbled in yoga and weight lifting, but nothing stuck.
I was one of the first clients when barre3 Georgetown opened in January of 2012. As soon as I walked in the door, I was blown away. The class exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t believe how beautiful the studio was! I was surprised that all of the barre3 exercises felt good on my achy knees; I had finally found the perfect complement to my running.
A year and a half ago, I could only run pain-free for three or four miles at a time. Thanks to barre3, I can now run a lot longer than that without any discomfort. I recently turned 40, and my girlfriends and I decided to do a half marathon. I know I couldn’t have stayed healthy without barre3’s functional strength training. I feel better now running than I did 10 years ago.
My blog, Weekly Greens, came about organically. I was working as a communications executive full time, and I had two young children. I was stressed out, and I realized that if I wanted to feed my family healthy food, I needed to sit down and make a plan. So I started developing meal plans and shopping lists. Then, I shared them with my friends who were also busy and stressed. It dawned on me that I could start a blog, quit my job, and spend more time with my children. It was a risky decision, but one of the best ones I’ve ever made.
I love to let my kids help prepare food. At the farmers market, I ask them what veggies they’d like to touch, smell, and cut open. We also cook together—even though cooking with them is generally a real mess! I’ve realized that kids are more likely to try something they’ve had a hand in making.
As for my own nutritional needs, I try to listen to my body and eat what feels good. (Sometimes what feels good is an ice cream cone!) There’s room for a little bit of everything in moderation. 80% of the time, I eat nutrient-dense whole foods. 20% of the time, I don’t. I don’t think any food should be considered off limits.
I’ve also learned to listen to my inner voice and connect what I’m eating to how I’m feeling. I can look at a second glass of wine and say, “I’m going to like it right now, but I’m not going to like it tomorrow morning when I’m up.” As an instructor, my goal is to empower clients to listen to their inner voices too. Barre3 has helped me to be more confident and trusting of myself, and it’s a privilege to pass it on to others.
Alicia Sokol is a busy Mom, creator of the blog Weekly Greens, and an incredible instructor at barre3 Georgetown. (She’s also one of the chefs who contributes to our recipes!) Read on to get to know her a little bit better, in her own words.
I was the uncoordinated kid in high school who didn’t play sports at all. During college, I started running to relieve stress and quickly fell in love with it. By the time I was 30, I had completed a number of marathons and triathlons, but my joints didn’t feel healthy and strong. My body was telling me to slow down and do more strength training and restorative exercises. I dabbled in yoga and weight lifting, but nothing stuck.
I was one of the first clients when barre3 Georgetown opened in January of 2012. As soon as I walked in the door, I was blown away. The class exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t believe how beautiful the studio was! I was surprised that all of the barre3 exercises felt good on my achy knees; I had finally found the perfect complement to my running.
A year and a half ago, I could only run pain-free for three or four miles at a time. Thanks to barre3, I can now run a lot longer than that without any discomfort. I recently turned 40, and my girlfriends and I decided to do a half marathon. I know I couldn’t have stayed healthy without barre3’s functional strength training. I feel better now running than I did 10 years ago.
My blog, Weekly Greens, came about organically. I was working as a communications executive full time, and I had two young children. I was stressed out, and I realized that if I wanted to feed my family healthy food, I needed to sit down and make a plan. So I started developing meal plans and shopping lists. Then, I shared them with my friends who were also busy and stressed. It dawned on me that I could start a blog, quit my job, and spend more time with my children. It was a risky decision, but one of the best ones I’ve ever made.
I love to let my kids help prepare food. At the farmers market, I ask them what veggies they’d like to touch, smell, and cut open. We also cook together—even though cooking with them is generally a real mess! I’ve realized that kids are more likely to try something they’ve had a hand in making.
As for my own nutritional needs, I try to listen to my body and eat what feels good. (Sometimes what feels good is an ice cream cone!) There’s room for a little bit of everything in moderation. 80% of the time, I eat nutrient-dense whole foods. 20% of the time, I don’t. I don’t think any food should be considered off limits.
I’ve also learned to listen to my inner voice and connect what I’m eating to how I’m feeling. I can look at a second glass of wine and say, “I’m going to like it right now, but I’m not going to like it tomorrow morning when I’m up.” As an instructor, my goal is to empower clients to listen to their inner voices too. Barre3 has helped me to be more confident and trusting of myself, and it’s a privilege to pass it on to others.
