Feel the burn, feel the … buzz?
April Storey, a health and fitness coach, gave the Internet some major workout motivation by combining her dedication to exercise with her passion for red wine in a lighthearted video that’s become an online sensation.
“Everyone who knows me knows I do love my wine but also that fitness is a huge priority for me,” Storey, of Redding, California, told TODAY.com. “I thought, I’ll incorporate two of my favorite things into the same concept.”
Dubbed the #wineworkout, Storey, 24, turns bottles of vino into hand weights and powers through pushups with a sip of wine from a straw after each one.
The 15-second clip, which has racked up more than 18 million views, came about on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, when Storey did a home workout while her 1-year-old daughter, Brielle, was napping. She saw wine and decided to add it to her routine just for fun.
No, she doesn’t recommend heavy drinking while working out, and notes that she had about a half a glass during her pushups. Her idea is that exercise doesn’t have to be expensive or boring.
“I wanted to show that fitness can be fun and also to illustrate that you can work out anywhere,” said Storey, who usually exercises six days a week, often at home. “You can incorporate fitness into your everyday life using everyday household items.”
She shared the video on her social media accounts and it took off, collecting thousands of comments as it spread. George Takei posted the clip on Facebook with the message: “Quit wine-ing and work out.”
Storey was back with a second video last week to celebrate National Drink Wine Day, this time holding the bottles during squats and lunges and enjoying another swig or two during those always-awful wall sits.
Most of the comments Storey has received have been positive, as people tagged their friends and egged them on to get moving — with a wine reward.
“They’ve been saying they love this workout, that it’s the motivation they need to start working out,” she said. “Or they tease their friends and say, ‘Is this you what you’re doing when you say you’re working out?’”
Some, though, worried for her safety during the pushups. But, not to worry. “I trust my upper body strength,” she said. “Use your discretion here.”
Storey hopes people also get the message that you don’t have to sacrifice everything in pursuit of health and fitness goals.
“A lot of times people are trying to lose weight and they think you can’t have chocolate or you can’t have bread or wine, and I wanted to show them that is not against the rules,” she said. “You have to use moderation.”
She may just have a few more ideas for wine workouts, like one with a girlfriend.
“I love wine and I love working out,” she said. “Social media is for sharing who you are. I think it was great to have the two worlds collide.
“Hopefully, it’s raising awareness for healthy living," she said, "and getting people to see fitness can be fun.”
TODAY.com contributor Lisa A. Flam is a news and lifestyles reporter in New York. Follow her on Twitter: @lisaflam