When Girlawhirl met her trainer Tiffany Davidson for a recent hike, she was surprised to be handed a pair of Nordic Walking poles. Girlawhirl had read about Nordic Walking and its popularity in Europe, but it's not something she's used to seeing Stateside…

Every now and then Girlawhirl will be on the receiving end of a comment about her sunglasses. Usually it's because she's the only one wearing them, having accidentally left them on when she went inside or descended below ground to hop a train…

Girlawhirl and her Pals are ready to take their workouts to the next level! Little by little, Girlawhirl's trainer Tiffany Davidson will be incorporating martial arts moves. Here she starts us off with a front kick, which she herself had to practice and practice… and practice some more… when she studied under the Calasanz System of Physical Arts. And with beach passes being issued and pools being opened, who can forget to focus on thighs, glutes and the upper body...

Girlawhirl's become so accustomed to protecting her skin that it's truly become second nature. A spray of sunscreen is part of her after-shower morning routine, a hat – with brim – is a favorite accessory, and she's counting on her SPF 30 face products to keep her looking young for years to come...

With all of her favorite sunscreens in rotation, Girlawhirl never leaves her apartment without a healthy dose of sun protection. But what she finds is that throughout the day, she rarely reapplies. And while that may be fine for the days she's stuck in her office through lunch – and unfortunately, until it gets dark – what about the days when she's able to squeeze in some errands or a lunch at an outdoor café?

With bathing suit season looming and Girlawhirl's summer selection of sleeveless tops and dresses staring at her from her closet, she's extra motivated these days when it comes to working out. With advice from her trainer Tiffany Davidson she's happy to squeeze in an extra cardio session or up the ante when it comes to strength training, especially if she knows she'll see some shoulder, back and upper arm definition as a result...

Girlawhirl's noticed more and more people bringing their own yoga mats to the gym. While she gets it that some people might not want to use a mat that a stranger has just used, truth be told, she's not usually bothered by stuff like that. But lately she's noticed that more and more of her fellow gym-goers have been toting their own mats. And there's a reason more of her yoga-mates and pilates pals have decided not to use the communal mats the gym provides…