Wine & Workout! What’s Your Pick?

Louis Pasteur once said “Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.”  For years wine has been a staple at the dinner tables across countries and cultures. Be it as a blissful treat to the palate, or for the sheer sake of being regarded ‘healthy’, wine lovers have never fallen short of reasons to pour out and relish this bottled goodness.

Right from being good for your heart, to slowing down cognitive decline, wine is known to have an array of benefits when consumed in moderation. According to researchers at Canada’s University of Alberta, drinking red wine can possibly be as beneficial as working out too! As it has the ability to boost heart rate and amp up muscle performance.

The culprit behind this (not so) sinful goodness is ‘Resveratrol’ – a natural compound found in certain fruits & nuts, also thankfully in red wine.

(Cheers to that! Wine lovers reading this must already be planning which red wine to pick. Be patient…there’s more for you to know. Also, for those who are yet trying to understand why the title reads Wine & Workout, read on…)

From pre-workout and post-workout shakes to all those inspirational ‘fitness-goals’ posts, April Storey – a stay-at-home mom and health coach has given wine-lovers their ultimate workout motivation by adding a dash of wine to the age-old workout routine.

The wine & fitness enthusiast gave the world a taste of her blended passion as she posted her first wine and workout video (that’s what I call it now) on social media. Dedicated to New Year’s Eve, the video invited people to try this special upper body circuit workout for “sexy arms.” The workout showcases April working on her arms holding a dumbbell in one hand (which is a very common sight. The description additionally suggests viewers to “stay hydrated” during the workout which I’m guessing points to the glass of wine she holds in her other hand and treats herself to after every rep (now that an unusual sight!).

The 24-year-old, mother to a toddler, considers workouts to be a part of her daily routine and also (quite obviously) loves her wine. Disregarding the belief of staying off wine and similar beverages (while on a diet), Storey states that “wine in moderation is okay”. The unconventional workout that has received 2,41,081 shares on the ‘Once Upon A Wine‘ Facebook page is a delightful cycle of April doing bicep curls while sipping on wine and replaces traditional weights with wine bottles for her tricep presses. Innovation at its best indeed!

Wondering what sparked this idea?

“I came up with the idea on New Year’s Eve after we had bought some wine to go over to our friend’s house. The initial idea of it was that you can use anything in your house to work out, whether its soup cans or wine bottles.” Storey reveals to PEOPLE.

(No more excuses or needing fancy equipment now.)

Star Trek actor George Takei shared April’s video to his to his 9-million followers saying “quit wine-ing and work out“. Her response to the massive buzz generated by her videos was “It makes fitness fun”.

Following the tremendous (and unexpected) success of her first video that was released in January, April came out with another innovative & rewarding lower body workout video on the occasion of National Wine Day.

Doing what she loves and motivating people by sharing her journey and experiences with them April not only fetched herself 19 million+ views for her video but also inspired trainers of fitness giant Reebok to incorporate the use of wine in many of their classes.

“We’re constantly inspired by everyday people bringing fitness to life in unexpected ways. But stay-at-home mom April Storey is opening even our eyes to an unexpected exercise opportunity – a wine bottle.”

Stated ‘YOUR WINE WEDNESDAY WORKOUT’ blog by Reebok.

Kaelyn Sullivan, the indoor cycling instructor (also part of the material development for footwear and apparel at Reebok) says “wine bottles put small weights to shame… You need grip strength to hold those things!” (So if you think this is as easy as you thought it was, think again!)

Apart from all the fun and frolic from her videos, April, who drinks 5-ounce glasses of cab or red blends about two to three times week – and works out five to six times a week – strives to make people realize that you can have health goals and still enjoy the things you love. (I definitely couldn’t agree more).

So while I put on my shoes and pour myself a glass of delight, here is a list of wine workouts for you to try a bottle on.