Hey everyone!

I’m in NYC, working from a girfriend’s office and generally just acting like I own this town. Last night we ate at this cute spot called The Grey Dog’s Cafe where I washed down a chicken and avocado salad with a pint of sangria and then splurged on Pinkberry ($-wise, I mean; a medium with mangoes and strawberries costs more than a martini. OK, half a martini.) Tomorrow I’ll be appearing on on the Today Show (link to come), spouting off about everything you need to exercise safely outside in the summer…not including obvious gimmes like sunblock and bug spray.

Here’s the scoop:

Drink up!
HydraCoach hydration monitor calculates, monitors and provides instant feedback on fluid consumption. You just punch in your weight and activity for the day and it spits out a personal hydration goal. Then, it coaches you to drink more (or less, for you overachievers out there) as the day goes on! It’s like a mini Jillian Michaels, in water bottle form. i need this considering the majority of water I drink during the day comes from inadvertently swallowing some while brushing my teeth or showering.

Sigg water bottles are reusable so you’re not leaving a mini-carbon footprint every day, plus they have a water-based, non-toxic coating baked into the interior – nothing leaching into your H20. (Perhaps you’ve heard of BPA, or bisphenol-A, a lovely toxin that seeps out of plastic bottles and mimics estrogen in the body? Yucksters.)

Don’t be a victim
AirDrive earphones let you jam to G. Stefani but also allow you to hear ambient noise, like traffic or someone approaching you from behind.

Tip: According to the Department of Justice, nearly one quarter of violent crimes occur during leisure activities away from home…like running.

Fight back
The New Balance/Via pedometer has - get this - a panic button. That is so Jodie Foster! Keep track of your steps and know that should, God forbid anything happen, you can pull up a lever and sound a 120 decibel screeching alarm (for comparison, a power saw is 110 decibels…your baby crying for two hours straight is about 200 decibels.). Plus, you can keep track of your calories! (sarcasm, ok?)

Tip: There are now some studies suggesting that walking 10,000 steps a day is the best. Try starting with 2500/day as a goal.

Keep track of your heart rate
NuMetrex sportsbras and tanks incorporate a heart rate monitor into the clothing itself. I haven’t been so psyched about a techie clothing product since Hypercolor shirts. Not only can you ensure you’re in your target heart rate zone without taking your pulse, but you can avoid overdoing it - crucial in heat and humidity.

Tip: According to the American Heart Association, your maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your age. You want to staying within 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate–this range is called your target heart rate. For a 30-year-old woman, 95-162 beats per minute is your target heart rate.

Stay cool
Champion’s O2Cool line is made with two moisture-wicking layers and is eco-chic (made with fibers) Besides wicking sweat away, mesh panels and mesh-vented bras add cool ventilation

Insider tip: This stuff is on sale now!

Be seen at night
For you super hardcore nighttime exercisers out there, illumiNITE clothing gives ya head-to-toe reflectivity. A special material acts like a bazillion little mirrors working together to reflect light back to its originating source, meaning drivers see your entire silhouette.

If you wanna be seen but don’t want to light up like a Christmas tree, make sure your gear has reflective stripes or logos. Try Lucy, maker of all things gorgeous and beautiful. I especially like their Interval Skirt, which has a cute reflective design on the front left hip and back right hem. Plus, their website touts the skirt’s contoured waistband as being “anti-muffintop” which makes me giggle.

Tip: The largest number of pedestrian accidents and fatalities occur during the morning and evening hours as the sun is rising or falling. People are almost twice as likely to get in a car accident the Monday after Daylight Savings Time, as we’re not used to changes in sunlight.

Hope you can catch the show tomorrow - I’ll be on sometime in the 9 o’clock hour. When I smile, it means I’m think of you!

PS For even more ways to stay safe when pumping it outside this summer, check out these links from iVillage
Beating the heat
Lightning safety
Carnival ride safety
Be sun smart
Be safe at the beach
Wear a helmet!
7 Steps to summer safety

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