We’re constantly searching online for different blogs and articles to help inspire and motivate us. All that information can be overwhelming and sometimes surfing the net for ultra-marathon training tips can take longer than actually running the ultra-marathon. We wanted a way to track down all that information (from challenging workouts to new recipes) without wasting valuable time. That’s when we fell in love with Zite.

zite, the personal magazine

Zite is a free iPad (and now iPhone!) app that pulls together articles about all the topics we're interested in and organizes them into a personal magazine. The app personalizes the feed depending on which articles we read and how we feel about them; we can give an article the thumbs-up (or thumbs-down) and share it with friends. The more we use it, the more it learns about what we like and, over time, it serves up the best content from our favourite sources, people and places.

lululemon's section on zite

Zite is a great tool for busy people who love to discover things, so we've been working with their team to co-create a section within the app to curate content that both inspires and challenges us. The section pulls from some of our favourite sources and topics across the web – recipes that make us want to cook, workouts that make us want to sweat and design inspiration that helps keep our creative juices flowing. We’ve sculpted our section on Zite to serve up content we think you’ll like; the more you read on Zite, the more it will cater to your own personal taste. If you read more articles about yoga, rather than ones about running, you’ll start to see more posts about Half Moon and fewer about half-marathons.

how to get the lululemon channel on zite?

1. download “Zite” on your iPad or iPhone
2. click on “Customize” in the bottom right-hand of the screen
3. under “Enter your own,” type in “lululemon athletica" and select
4. click “done” in the bottom right corner and you’ve added the section to your zite
5. enjoy reading

At the moment, we're still testing and evolving our Zite section. We'd love to hear your feedback about it. Try it out and let us know if you think it's something we should keep doing.

Life moves fast in the digital lane, especially for Kristina Simmons, our Manager of Social Media. Don't be fooled. She stands five feet (OK, 5'o.5") tall but she has giant goals. (Like her BHAG to attend the ever amazing annual celebration of music, film and all things interactive - SXSW. She's going, alright - as a presenter, no less. ) No matter how busy life gets, she fits in her workouts. Who says miracles don't happen?

tips for fitness with a busy schedule

It's all about prioritizing when you work crazy hours. Being on the Digital team at lululemon means my days are jam-packed but I always get in a good sweat. (Well, at least most days!) Preparing to speak in Austin has things a little more chaotic than usual for me and I'm relying on the following to make sure I stay fit and sane. Here are my tips.

Sweat in the morning.
My productivity increases big time if I work out first thing in the morning. I'm more likely to do it before the rush begins, plus I don’t have to think about it the rest of the day. I put my gear out the night before. My alarm goes off at 5:30am and I am on the treadmill by 6am.

Schedule workouts into your calendar. Set reminders. Have integrity.
I schedule a circuit class every Wednesday at 4:30pm. I tell my co-workers in the morning so they are fully aware of my plans and they hold me accountable even if the day gets crazy.  

Seek out your workouts before travelling.
Before I travel for work or pleasure, I check out where the cool studios or running spots are and choose hotels with gyms whenever possible. I'm already looking into options for Austin, TX. (PS. If you're travelling near a store, drop in to find out where all the locals go.)

Kristina getting her om on in NYC at Barefoot in the Park

Get some new gear.
New workout clothes make my day. (Yes, I work at lululemon. Call me biased.) It's the perfect reward when I've been working hard. I swear that getting up early is easier when I get to break in a new pair of pants or shoes.

Plan a meeting/workout mashup.
If I don't need my computer, it's fun to meet while going for a run or a walk. The endorphin rush makes for great brainstorming and bonding. (Editor's note: If you want to keep your friends at the office, we suggest you do this only if you have access to a shower at work or if it is at the end of the day.)

Work out at work.
I'm fortunate to work at company that has yoga and fitness classes throughout the day. Why not propose it at yours? If it isn't feasible, start a run club before or after work 1-2 days a week. Our No Excuses Run Club is a big hit here at the office.

Make workout plans with a co-worker or a friend.
I'm less likely to back out if I make plans with someone ahead of time. I typically schedule my weekly plan on Sundays and share it with friends and co-workers to see if they want to join. Sometimes, I even tweet to see who's interested in going.

Commit to a challenge.
If I pay the money to do a 30-day challenge, I’m more likely to actually go. Plus, a little friendly competition always helps.

Diversify.
When I change up my workouts, it doesn't feel like work. I attend complimentary classes at our stores, try new studios, go for runs, hikes, swims - you name it. I’m always searching for new fun classes, running routes and DVDs.

Get new tunes.
When I am feeling unmotivated, I add some new music to the mix. It keeps things fresh, fun and interesting.

Pick up a fitness magazine.
Getting new workout ideas and healthy tips motivates me to work out. I love Women's Health, Fitness, SELF and Shape when it comes to magazines. I also love reading Fitsugar when I'm on the go.

Get into a routine.
It's all about establishing good habits. Whatever activities you choose, commit and make them a routine. When you get into the habit you are less likely to back out. Your body craves it.

My final note? Don’t let lack of time become an obstacle to taking care of yourself. If your goals are to work out more, make it a priority. You’ll feel better, get more done, and be happier!

Have mat. Will sweat - no matter what. 

want more?

• Get your local store's class schedule. Every location has amazing weekly events.
• Discover new music. We have lots of playlists to browse.
• Freshen up your wardrobe. Breaking in new gear is the perfect catalyst to sweat more.
• Download a fitness app. Lesia has great tips on apps to keep you motivated.
• Mix health with travel. Go on a yoga retreat for the most enjoyable workout to date.

Kristina totally inspires us! We know she'll knock SXSW out of the park without skipping a workout beat. What are you going to do to reach your health goals in the midst of your busy life?

On a recent trip to New York City, I woke up early on a Saturday and walked 30 minutes to the lululemon East 66th store (let me just say, I know now why New Yorkers are in such great shape—they walk everywhere!). Rebecca Kordecki, the founder of Booty Slide, seemed energetic and excited to share her fitness regime. I would do Booty Slide everyday if I could get her results! We used colorful, silk booties and bands to use our body weight to tone and strengthen. As an avid fitness enthusiast, I have tried anything and everything. It's unusual to find a fitness class that combines toning exercises with cardio. My heart was pumping as I did lunges, mountain climber, and plank pose exercises.

There's always a great variety of complimentary class at all the lululemon stores from yoga or pilates to bootcamp or belly dancing. Whenever I go on vacation (even before I worked here) I check the lululemon site for studios in the area or classes at the store. It's a great money-saver to scout out the free classes when you're on vacation because it's often difficult and pricey to find suitable gyms.

The next day during my walk through Central Park, my legs were definitely sore (of course in a good way). My cost for the workout weekend in New York $0 and my body definitely loved it.

Want to try booty slide out for yourself? Visit their site below!

http://www.rebeccakordecki.com/bootyslide.html

Here at lululemon we love bringing our guests in the store a great experience by providing them with amazing fitness classes and more. The question is: how can we bring that lululemon experience to our online guests? I decided we should challenge our tech-savvy crowd to get active in REAL time by bringing the virtual world to reality.

lululemon will be having our FIRST ever tweet up (and I dare say, I hope not the last) in Bryant Park on June 18th. We are combining the New York team’s incredible work for Barefoot in The Park at the same time! (Did you know our stores in New York provide yoga classes at least twice a week in Bryant Park?) Mix, mingle, chat about social media, and try out different styles of yoga and instructors all in one night.

I will be in New York for two months and I am ready to explore the city. I want to meet YOU! I personally invite each and everyone of you to come to Barefoot in the Park and the first ever lululemon tweet up! I dare you to choose your favorite style of yoga and your instructor and tell me about it through Facebook or Twitter.

Want to come? RSVP through Facebook! (Ps, make sure to check back to the Facebook event in case of rain!)

When I first started hot yoga, I somehow always ended up next to the heater. I was usually running a little late because I tried to get my cardio in before the class. So picture me - sweaty from my previous class with an old mat my dog loved to chew on. Hot vinyasa was my favorite style and while the beginning of my practice was great, I felt like I was ice skating by the end of the class. It was challenging when my hands and feet slipped constantly. My abs got a great workout in trying to hold myself up, but my slip n' slide yoga classes were beginning to hurt! On occasion, I would accidentally slip on my sweat puddle, falling into the yogi next to me and knocking them over (yes, this really happened)! I needed a solution.

Yogitoes are colorful blanket/towels with orange dots on the front that yogis put down over their yoga mats. These skidless mat-covers are thin enough to prevent bunching, but they have grippies on the bottom to prevent my "yoga ice skating."

If you are willing to go to yoga and have your own mat, it's practice-altering to invest in your skidless Yogitoes.

Many of you on Twitter have been talking about Yogitoes, and I have @replied how they have changed my practice. I no longer have to worry about slip-injuries, I can focus more on my alignment, and I can say goodbye to sweat puddles on my mat!

Above: Vanessa uses the Yogitoes mat to keep her grip on a hot Vancouver day.

Watch it below:

lululemon Annual Report Video 2008 from lululemon athletica on Vimeo.

Studies have proven that friends influence your health decisions, whether they are 7 feet or 7,000 miles away.

Today was a prime example of the power of people. I went to a challenging vinyasa class by Jonny Kest. I drove an hour and a half just to get some zen because his class is like no other.

I am in great shape, but 30 minutes into the class I wanted to give up. I was tired, thinking about all the things I should have done, and I started giving up when the yoga guru himself said, "I always run with someone faster and better than me. Surround yourself by better people and that is how you go from good to great." Jonny had us hold hands with yogis next to us so we could be motivated and feel their energy. I typically am not so fond of holding sweaty hands, but it made a huge difference in my practice. He praises the power and influence of other people and it really worked.

Sometimes we are unmotivated to workout, uninspired to be healthy, and bored of the same, everyday routine. As cliché as it sounds, fitness can be fun. There are countless new classes and workouts springing up daily around the world. I do something different everyday and I love meeting great people along the way that push me. My goal is to find these amazing classes, and write about them to inspire and motivate you. Find a workout that challenges your muscles and your mind and a friend to go with you. Maybe zumba, belly dancing, aerial dance, rope yoga or barre pilates. Let's make things interesting! If we all work together, we can make a difference to someone. Who will you inspire today?

Above: Abbey (an Administrative Assistant) and Carlson (our Merchandise Allocations Analyst Dude) practice yoga on the roof of our office in Vancouver. Abbey is wearing our Deep V Tank III with Astro Crops (check your local store for inventory). Carlson is sporting the Metal Vent Tech SS and Kung Fu Pants.