Peppy in prAna

prAna Product Reviews

 Women’s Uptown Pant

• Product Number: W4UPTP315
• Color: Cargo Green
• Size : Medium
• Price : $89.00

Although in a very big transitional point in my life, I am currently seven months pregnant, I am still true to myself. What does that mean? It means I have not changed one bit, except my tummy is a little larger than normal. I haven’t not become any less curious or energetic. I am still running, hiking, climbing, doing yoga, working out, just a bit slower than usual.

So being that my weight and size is changing, I was looking for multi-use, durable, versatile and stylish piece that I could use in different areas of my wardrobe. While looking for pants, I wanted something that I could bum around the house in, something I could wear hiking and something that would be acceptable to head out in, whether to work, the grocery store or a friend’s house. I searched literally EVERYWHERE and resulted to all black yoga pants (which get boring after a while) and wearing a LOT of dresses.

I was literally in a fashion depression and then I came to prAna’s website where I searched for pants. The site had many great options but I had never purchased anything from prAna before. Would the pants fit right? Would they look okay on me? Was the material going to be sturdy? I decided to choose just a single pair of pants to test out the quality of prAna’s products. I went with the Uptown Pant in the Cargo Green color. A couple days later the pants showed up at my house. I have to say, I really did NOT think I would love a pair of pants this much. I never order pants online since they don’t ever fit right. Plus, I am more of a yoga pants and jeans kind of girl. However, the Uptown Pant from prAna soon became one of my all-time favorite pairs of pants.

They are perfect for the adventurer in us all. They are light weight, breathable, loose fitting, durable, airy, comfortable pants. Whether you are road tripping for hours or hiking the desert, you will be able to move about the car or world comfortably in this pair of pants.

They are perfect for relaxing around the house. The breath-ability and looseness of the pants makes these the perfect pair of pants to bum around home in. They are comfortable and airy and great for your normal laid back days.

They are perfect for the working girl. These pants are beautiful and stylish. I have paired these pants with black flats and a blouse and turned them from hiking pants into a business casual look at work. I have worn these out to dinners with friends, to the grocery store, any and everywhere.

They are even perfect for the pregnant girl! Although these pants are not your typical maternity pair of pants, they have been great for me even at seven months pregnant! The elastic through back waistband makes it easy for me to get into the pants at this stage of pregnancy, and yet will still fit once I am no longer pregnant. I love that this is a piece that I can wear at all stages of life.

What I am trying to say is these pants are EVERYTHING! I am very critical of pants. I have the hardest time fitting into certain pants. Different styles that look great on certain people always look horrible on me. When not pregnant I wear a size six pant. I have wide hips and thick thighs (thanks to soccer). It is so hard to find a pair of pants that fits just right. I am five feet, four inches tall, a lot of pants are too long for me, so I constantly find myself rolling my pant legs. I have to say, even with all of these issues, I ordered a size medium and these pants were perfect!

If you too are looking for a versatile pair of pants that are light, durable and comfortable, use the promo code FAJZ15 on prana.com to get 15% off these pants and many more products from prAna. I promise you, you will not be disappointed in this pair of pants!

Women’s Sway Tank

• Product Number: W13170213
• Color: Black
• Size : Medium
• Price : $69.00

As a runner living in California, I am a tank top kind of girl when it comes to attire for my work outs. Choosing the women’s Sway Tank was an easy option for me. What I love about this product is that the tank has a built in bra that is beautiful. The website also offers a Roxanne Capri that matches the bra, which would make an awesome outfit to wear to yoga or to go grab groceries in.

In terms of functionality, this top is best suited for and also intended for yoga. Wearing this top to yoga class was great. I was able to move about the class freely in this top without pulling at it or struggling with it during different poses, positions and stretches.

I have also used this top to hike and climb in. I actually loved it to hike in, especially when I was in the desert. The material is light and keeps you cool.

Because of the lightness of the shirt, weight-wise, I tried it out on a run. For me, the bra did not offer enough support while running. This is not a problem unique to this top, I have never found a top with a built in bra that I felt offered me enough support. All other activities I wore the top for the support was great and keep in mind, this top is not intended for running.

So for all you yogis out there, this top is perfect for you!

Additional prAna Product Information

I take pride in the things that I endorse on my site. Some products are greater than others, but prAna has seriously impressed me. prAna’s motto is:

Welcome to a world where we re-write the rules, re-route the road map, and let all routines be damned.

A world for the curious. For the creative. For the spirited; where we play long, travel light, and trust our instincts.

Welcome to prAna – Design that sets you free.

When I read this I honestly thought maybe my long lost twin was out there creating a line of clothing specifically designed for me. Everything above, is me! On top of that, prAna stands by all of their products. If you do not absolutely love your prAna purchase, they will offer you a full refund or exchange. (See details at: prAna.com/returns or call 1.866.915.6457).

prAna created sustainable products as they strive to minimize their impact on the environment and what it means for future generations. They go the extra mile to design everything with the best possible materials and practices. So if you are a lover of planet earth, this company is for you!

Both products purchased meet The bluesign® criteria. This is a system for sustainable textile production. bluesign® eliminates harmful substances from the beginning of the manufacturing process and sets and controls standards for an environmentally friendly and safe production. These products are created with minimum impact on people and the environment with the highest level of consumer safety. It ensures that the final textile product meets very stringent consumer safety requirements worldwide and provides confidence to the consumer to acquire a sustainable product. You can find out more about bluesign® criteria at www.bluesign.com.

Added a few extra details to this piece:

• Recycled
• Organic
• Fair Trade Certified
• Hemp
• Fluorine Free
• PFOA Free

As if I did not love these products enough, the backbone of prAna’s company makes me love their products even more.

So for all of our readers or followers who are interested in prAna products, use promotion code/coupon code FAJZ15 to get 15% off any items on prAna’s website.

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Jessie Zahner is the owner of Athletchic.com. You can follow her on Instagram (Athletchic) or on Twitter at @Athletchic.

Spring Injury – Prevention Tips from Athletchic

The weather is nice, and it’s time to get outside and have some fun. But we have to be careful–especially we women! We often push ourselves more than the men in our lives and can sometimes zero in on one lone exercise to give it our all.

If your life is too hectic for a balanced exercise program, then, like me, you are probably working some muscles more than others. Repeating the same activity day after day is easy; you don’t have to think about it. Just put on your shoes or hop on your bike and off you go!

It’s hard to balance exercise when you are thankful to be exercising at all.  (We women are busy!) But diversifying workouts can prevent injury and save us from long drawn-out recoveries. I should know. As an avid runner, I have been pounding pavement for decades.

This spring’s tip from Athletchic is: Make a conscious decision to balance your exercise plan. Making up for lost time with one exercise can put a stop to all your summer plans. So here are a few things we’ve learned over the years about our favorite exercises. Hopefully, it will help you keep on moving all summer long:

Walking: Everyone agrees walking is good for you. But overdoing it that first week of summer after a cold-weather hiatus could send you screaming to the doctor.  Shin splints can be all the inspiration a woman needs to stop walking! So heed these tips:

• Limit yourself to a sensible distance,
• if you have shin pain, lower your weekly mileage and make sure your walking shoes still have a lot of tread (if the tread is gone, it’s time girls!),
• replace a walk or two with an anaerobic activity like weight lifting or take a flexibility class at the gym,
• and the typical rule of thumb is don’t increase your mileage more than 10% a week. (For example, if you walk 10 miles a week, increase it 1 mile per week until you reach 15, then up it to 1.5 until you reach 20 and so on.)

Running/Cross Country: This can be dangerously addictive because it helps women lose weight fast. It’s tempting to start upping our miles foolishly—especially during bathing suit season. So time off may be even more important for runners than walkers.

• Again, use the 10% rule above,
• try the one-day-on and one-day-off schedule if you are feeling aches and pains,
• or, for seasoned runners who didn’t take off all winter, a hard-day, easy-day schedule may work for you,
• but no matter how tempting the weight loss is, include some days off,
• and to avoid the dreaded stress fracture—and I know, I’ve had one—make sure you stay at a healthy weight and cross train on the bike, in the pool, or at the gym with weights.

Swimming – Swimming is a great balance for runners or walkers, but again, should be done in moderation. A doctor once told me that women’s ligaments are more lax than men’s, so we are more prone to dislocating a shoulder. While we don’t participate in many sports that risk dislocation, swimming may irritate our rotator’s cup.  So listen to your body and if you start to feel neck or shoulder pain, make an appointment with your Doc.

Here are a few tips to keep you swimming:

• Alternate strokes to help avoid shoulder injuries,
• consider a few breast stroke or back stroke laps to switch it up,
• teach yourself to breath to both sides (this helped my neck pain),
• if you don’t do a flip turn, alternate which hand grabs the side of the pool when you turn (this helped my shoulder pain),
• Spit in your goggles before you get them wet to see better,
• And invest in a water ipod to battle boredom!

Cycling –  Cycling is a great cross train, as long as you are sensible. First and most important: WEAR A HELMET.  I can’t count the times I’ve seen helmets save cyclists. No ride is too safe for a helmet. It’s when you least expect it that an accident can occur. Other tips include:

• Alter where you place your hands on the handlebars,
• add aero bars to alternate your grip,
• replace your seat to allow you to go long distances comfortably (so if you don’t have the funds for a new bike, this might be a good option),
• tune up that bike every spring at your favorite bike shop,
• check the air in your tires evey other ride (unless you are completing long rides, then it is every ride),
• if you are not comfortable clicking your bike shoes into your pedals, invest in a dual pedal (this pedal allows me to click in on one side or not click in on the other side–it was my best investment as I click out and use the normal pedal when I am approaching any stop or am in heavy parking lot traffic), and
• WEAR A HELMET!

Weight Lifting – Another tip I’ve learned over the years by talking with doctors and Physical Therapists is that age matters when it comes to exercise–especially lifting. Here are a few tips for women at different stages in life:

• Prepubescent girls – Stay away from heavy weight training.
• High School/College–  Ask your school trainer or family doctor about a weight training  program. Weight training is is fabulous for most women. It builds strength and allows athletes to work out longer.
• Middle Aged Women – Walking and running alone is not enough. It’s important to include strength training in your workout to help prevent osteoporosis. And if you have osteopenia, it’s definitely time to consider requesting a training session in your workout facility’s weight room.
• All Women over 40 – Don’t forget to ask your doctor for advice on taking calcium, vitamin D or other supplements. She/he can advise you on what may help prevent future bone loss.
• Elder Women – While lots of women feel age is just a state of mind, you must still talk to your doctor about what is right for you—especially if you are just beginning to add exercise into your life!

Now get out there and get going!

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Cyndie Zahner is a free lance writer. Follow her on Twitter at @tweetyz or on Instagram as athletchicz.