A while back I was hiking on a trail that most would consider to be challenging. The trail snakes up a rocky mountain. I’ve done this hike numerous times, and it isn’t uncommon to see fit-looking individuals lose their footing on the tougher portions. On my last visit, I made a bad decision to wear shoes with insufficient traction and ended up taking a tumble myself. I point this out not to provoke sympathy nor talk about the importance of wearing proper footwear. I point this out because it’s important to understand how rough the terrain was. 

About two and a half hours into this hike, I saw three people coming down the mountain in a tight formation at a slow pace as I was hiking up. This stood out to me as unusual. When they came closer, I heard the person in the front of the formation, and to a lesser extent, the person in the back, describe the terrain. It wasn’t until I saw the cane that I realized what was happening. The person in the middle had visual challenges, so the other two hikers were guiding them with great care. They must have practiced for this hike for a long time, because the timing of the cues was obviously exact. They were moving slowly, but the steps of the hiker with a visual impairment seemed sure and the pace seemed steady. What this group was accomplishing was spectacular to witness. 

You may have a condition that places some limits on what you can and can’t do. However, sometimes we limit ourselves because doing things the conventional way wouldn’t work for us. Instead of giving up, what if we, like this hiker, try a different way? 

It can be hard to try a different way when you have no idea where to start. If that’s the case, don’t be afraid to reach out to me or another health and fitness professional. We have experience looking at things from different angles. This can point you in the right direction or more closely guide you to where you want to go.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy month.  

Soon after I got married, one of the gentlemen I was working with informed me of the key to his decades-long happy marriage. Ironically, it was to act like they weren’t married yet. He explained that this attitude helped their marriage in numerous ways. When you have been with someone a long time, it can be easy to take them for granted and get caught up in the distractions of life. Seeing things with fresh eyes helps you to notice and appreciate your beloved more. While this certainly isn’t conventional advice – the more I considered it, the more it made sense. 

Just as people can get in relationships ruts, people can get in workout ruts. In order to build strength and endurance, many fitness professionals, myself included, recommend that you stick to one workout for for a period of time before moving onto the next workout. However, doing the same workout numerous times can get stale. Some people try to overcome this staleness with distractions such as talking to a friend, catching up on a podcasts, or making a mental to do list, and I’ve definitely been guilty of doing these things. But I actually enjoy and gain the most from my workouts when I choose to be present and focus on it.

If you are in a workout rut, it may be time to mix things up – but if you have recently changed your workout and still feel blah, I recommend that you forgo the distractions and focus on the different aspects of the workout. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself in order to tune into your workout. 

• Where are you feeling the exercises? 
• Is one side different than the other, if the exercise is bilateral? 
• Where have you improved already, and where is there room for improvement? 

Hiring a fitness professional can definitely help too. A good fitness professional will help you improve your form by helping you become aware of how your body is moving. They will choose exercises that safely challenge you and progress you when appropriate. They will make it hard to get distracted. They will also celebrate with you as you continue to get stronger, upgrade your balance, improve your endurance, and increase your range of motion. If you think you could benefit from this extra assistance, I recommend that you reach out to me or another health and wellness professional. 

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy month!

It’s easy to overextend yourself during the holidays. I contemplated this as we inched out of a parking garage in the freezing cold after leaving a Christmas parade. We left the parade early to avoid the crowd so I could get home and wrap some gifts. At one point, the slow crawl toward the exit came to a complete stop, and we didn’t move for fifty minutes. Stuck in the line of cars, we could only sit and wait.  While I didn’t want this particular pause, maybe I needed it. 

I realized I was was trying to do too much. I had initially planned on going to not one, but two Christmas parades that weekend. As I sat there immobile, the thought of going to the second parade seemed preposterous. Doing so would make the rest of my weekend too hectic. I didn’t go to that second parade. Instead, I used that time to wrap some gifts that I didn’t finish the night before. I also worked out and made a nutritious meal.

Even though we may want to do it all, we just can’t. We have to prioritize the things that matter most to us — the things that give us more good days. If you’re having trouble prioritizing, sometimes it’s helpful to get some outside perspective. A close friend, a family member, or a health coach may be able to shed some light on your situation.

Thanks for reading, and  I hope you have a safe and healthy month.

Several months ago, a yellow jacket flew into my home as I was bringing in some groceries. Not sure what to do, I left the door open for a bit. I really wished that it would make its way out the same way it came in. When the yellow jacket flew towards a window instead, I closed the door and opened the window. Wanting to direct the yellow jacket without aggravating it, I tried to coax it out by waving a magazine in the direction I wanted it to go. While this seemed to help direct the yellow jacket to the window, it remained inside.  It hovered around the glass before landing and pacing around the ledge of the window. Just when I thought it was going to fly outside, it returned to the window. This happened numerous times; each time, it got further and further out onto the ledge. Eventually, the yellow jacket flew outside.

Of course, I have no idea what was going on in the yellow jacket’s brain, but it reminded me of how different people get into the pool. While some prefer to dive right in, others prefer to test the temperature and hover and pace and enter at a slower speed in order to acclimate. If you want to improve your health and fitness and have unsuccessfully tried to leap off the deck, maybe it’s time to take some small steps in the direction you want to go instead. Small steps add up, and they help prepare you for bigger steps in the future. 

If you need some help getting started with those steps, I encourage you to reach out for help. Thanks for reading! I hope you have a safe and healthy month.

I once overheard a mother of two girls effectively encourage the sharing of a large swinging bench. While the bench was definitely long enough to accommodate both children if they were seated, the girl who was already on the swinging bench was taking up    a.     Lot of.   Of.    Space. She had her arms stretched overhead and legs fully extended so that her fingertips and feet were dangling off the ends of the bench. The second child paced back and forth several feet away from the bench, and periodically told her sister that she’d like to sit on it too. 

After several inquiries and several “In a minute” responses, the mother jumped in. It was obvious that sharing had been a reoccurring issue, because instead of explaining the importance of sharing, the mother asked if the child remembered their conversation earlier. The child sheepishly responded “yes” but didn’t move an inch. However, when the mother said “Time to shine,” the child immediately scooted off the bench and even offered to help push her sibling on the swing.

It can be amazing what a simple reframe can do. Having the right mindset is crucial both for children and adults. If you are struggling to reach your health and wellness goals, you may need to reevaluate your mindset. Are the things you are telling yourself motivating you to get started, keep going, or hindering your progress? Is it time to give up tasty food and do thing you don’t want to do . . . or Is it time to shine!?

If you need a mindset shift but aren’t sure where to begin, don’t hesitate to reach out to me or another health or fitness professional. 

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy month.  

Have you ever heard the song “I’m going on a bear hunt?” In this popular interactive camp song, they come across numerous obstacles such as tall grass, mud, water, etc. on their search for a bear. Each time an obstacle is encountered, they ponder how to deal with the challenge. While the first preference is always to skirt the obstacles by either going over, under, or around them, it is invariably decided that they must go through them. Going through the obstacles turns out to be quite the adventure. 

While you probably aren’t going on a bear hunt, if you are reading this blog, chances are you are on a “good heath hunt.” On our search to improve our health, we will likely encounter numerous challenges. When you encounter a new challenge, it is often beneficial to see if it is possible to do the easy thing and skirt it. Some challenges we may be able to get around. For example, if we give the bakery section at the grocery store a wide berth, we won’t be tempted to buy cupcakes. However, many obstacles are simply unavoidable, and the most effective way to overcome them is often by facing them head-on. By going through the challenge, you may find that it isn’t as daunting as it seemed at first glance. Also, each challenge you are able to overcome helps you build the skills and confidence to face future challenges. 

Sometimes – especially if you are just beginning your journey – your obstacles may seem insurmountable. If this is the case for you, you may need a guide to simplify things. They can also provide support so that you can stay focused amid the numerous distractions. If you need some assistance on your “good health hunt,” I encourage you to reach out to me or another health coach who can give you the tactics and support to overcome obstacles.

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a safe and healthy month.

Bodies are complicated. Even people, who take the time and energy to learn about being healthier, may struggle to get healthier. While it is a huge accomplishment to learn what to do to be healthier, knowing how to implement the steps into your daily life is a different obstacle. 

Many times the reason health-conscious individuals aren’t implementing the health strategies they want is because the steps aren’t realistic for them right now. For example, someone who has been inactive for decades is more likely to injure themselves than improve their health if they suddenly start trying to complete an hour-long HIIT workout every Saturday. Just like you wouldn’t expect to get promoted from intern to CEO if you only showed up for work one day a week —even if you worked as hard and you possibly could. 

It is important to start where you are and implement healthy habits that you can consistently maintain. Once you master these healthy habits, you can begin to climb the health and wellness ladder and add even more advanced healthy habits that get you to your goal.

Getting started can be particularly tricky. While it’s tempting to draw off of past experiences, make sure to question whether those experiences are still relevant. It is likely that your teenaged body and current body react differently and need different things. If you need help creating and implementing realistic healthy habits for where you are now, I encourage you to reach out to me or another fitness professional. 

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy month!

Does free food tempt you? I mean really tempt you!? I once worked at a job where ultra-processed snack food was always available, and the best (actually maybe worst) part of it was that it was completely free. Walking into the small staff room, I couldn’t miss the huge bowl of candies, chips, and fruit snacks. Extras were crammed into the few available cupboards, and any time a snack would dwindle, more would be promptly ordered. Seeing these wrapped snacks in the bowl was one thing. Watching my coworkers unwrap and then enjoy them was another. It was extremely tempting.

Sometimes a good strategy to prevent yourself from succumbing to temptation is to either remove the thing that is tempting you or remove yourself from the situation. Neither of these options were available to me. The job was in the caring field and didn’t pay that well, so the free food was a perk that my coworkers embraced. They definitely wouldn’t have been happy if the free food suddenly disappeared or wasn’t as convenient to get to.  Furthermore, it was impossible to avoid the break room because that was where we had to clock in and clock out. It was also the only place where we could store personal belongings.

In order to prevent myself from gorging on chips and chocolates, I came up with a strategy. First, I made sure to never arrive at work hungry. When I’m hungry, everything looks much more appealing. Secondly, I set myself up for success by always making myself a satiating lunch. Yes, I could abandon my lunch and eat the snacks instead, but knowing that I had already prepared my lunch made me think twice. Finally, I reminded myself that these foods weren’t really free because I would pay for them later. Instead of paying for them directly with money, my body would pay for them in the form of blood sugar crashes, inflammation, stomach aches, and acne. I would then spend actual money to try and relieve some of these ailments — Pepto-Bismol and ZAPZYT aren’t inexpensive. 

If you are struggling to overcome the obstacle of free food – please know that it isn’t easy, but it is possible with the proper preparation and mindset. If you need some support, don’t hesitate to reach out to me or another health professional that can help you create a strategy that works for you. 

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy month! 

I recall the last time I went to Ikea for more than a few knick-knacks. With virtually no furniture, I had just moved into an apartment. I spent almost a whole day checking out the various showrooms and testing out tables, chairs, desks, and sofas. After somehow cramming all the choices into a car, driving to my apartment, and hauling everything inside, I still had to assemble the furniture. It took several days to complete. In the end, that was the most challenging stage of the whole event. Even though it was tough, the furniture came together bit-by-bit — and my apartment started to feel like a home.

When you put effort into some things, you may be able to see instant results  — like furnishing an apartment or cooking a meal or cleaning a room. Other things take quite a long time and require much more time to see or feel he results. I could be wrong, but I think most people agree that drinking water instead of soda is healthier. Unfortunately, you may not be able to feel or see the difference if you choose to drink water instead of soda for a meal, a day, or even a couple of weeks. If you’re in the habit of enjoying soda, making this change is tough – and not having any tangible results makes it even harder.  

You may be coming into this new year thinking that you have tried it all to get healthier, but that nothing has worked. Like putting together furniture, these shifts are hard, and it is very tempting to give up. These newfound changes are challenging, which is why many people give up before they feel or see the results — but they most certainly are important and require that we try hard for a while. However, when you consistently make these good choices, improvement will happen. If you need support I suggest you find a fitness and health professional who can guide you through the tough moments.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy month. 

When I was younger, I was not fond of reading. However, I really liked my reading buddy- an older girl at my school. My 2nd grade class had partnered with a 5th grade class, and every week a bunch of 5th graders came to read with their 2nd grade buddies. My buddy was a great reader, and she was always very kind and patient with me when I struggled – and I struggled a lot. I doubt she knew what an impression she had on me, but I wanted to be just like her when I got older. When I reached 5th grade, I happily spent some of my recesses helping younger students read.

We are in the midst of holiday season, and many of us are spending more time with family and friends. This also means that there might be some people looking to you for guidance. What kind of role model do you want to be? If you want be able to role-model a healthy lifestyle, but need some support or guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to me or another health or fitness specialist.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy month.