Expe Training

We are getting oh-so-close to swimsuit season. The days are longer, the breeze is warmer, and the sun is brighter. It is the perfect time to take your workout to the water. But for some of us, wearing a swim suit sounds about as appealing as going to the dentist.

I was probably about six years old at the time, but I can still recall the first time I felt uncomfortable in a swim suit. I had just entered the water when an older girl at the pool approached me and told me that a girl sitting on a lawn chair was dressed inappropriately. Her comment didn’t make sense to me, so I asked her about it. She explained that the girl was so big that she needed to wear a T-shirt over her swim suit.

I didn’t think that the girl was dressed inappropriately. Like me, she was wearing a one piece swim suit. I then looked more closely at the older girl’s outfit —she was wearing a baggy T-shirt. I immediately asked her whether I should have been wearing a T-shirt too. She said that “It was ok for me because I was little, but that other girl should know better.”

At the time, I thought that she was older and wiser, so I believed her. I wondered when I would have to wear a T-shirt at the pool. Just in case, I tried wearing a baggy T-shirt for a while. However, I found it cumbersome when I wanted to swim. It took me a long time before I realized that she was wrong.

I’m not sure what compelled that older girl at the pool to wear a T-shirt and criticize others who weren’t doing the same.  Maybe she had a similar encounter at the pool. It is unfortunate that these lies spread so far and affect people for so long.

If you typically avoid the pool because of “swim suit anxiety,” I encourage you not to get caught up in the outfit. Wear a bikini, a Speedo, a tankini, a one piece, board shorts, swim trunks, a swim skirt, a T-shirt, a rash guard, jammers, swim tights, a burkini, swim pants, or a dress. Be sure that you feel comfortable in it and can move in it. Once the water envelops you, it doesn’t really matter what you’re wearing. You are weightless. You are beautiful.  

The water feels great; come on in. Hope to see you at my next aqua yoga class. 

Have a safe and healthy week. Thanks for reading. 

Yesterday many of us adjusted our clocks for daylight savings time. While it is fairly easy to change our clocks —most even automatically make the switch— our bodies usually have a more challenging time. We may find ourself abnormally tired after losing a precious hour of sleep.

Whenever we have to “spring forward,” there is always talk of eliminating daylight savings time. There are some good arguments for keeping it as well. One of the biggest arguments for keeping daylight savings time is that we have been doing it for years and most people are unaffected by it after a day or two or three 🙂 It is a habit, and habits are hard to break. 

It is easier to go with the flow and remain with the status quo. This is true for our everyday choices as well. Whether that is continuing to watch the Netflix show which was begun automatically instead of going to the gym or going to bed (both are important!), taking the elevator with your coworkers instead of opting for the stairs, or ordering your regular pizza for an event instead of making a nutritious meal because it’s easier. These choices become habits that are hard to change.

If you’re looking to alter some habits that aren’t supporting your health, begin by taking small incremental steps. Change is challenging, but good things often challenge you. If it still seems overwhelming or you have no idea where to begin, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for some help from a health coach or fitness professional.

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

Have you ever done the Bunny Hop? For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it’s a party dance that’s usually done in a conga line. It involves tapping each foot to the side two times, hopping forward once, backward once, and then forward three times. When I first learned this dance, it felt like we were barely moving. However, we were across the room before I knew it.

There are three reason why I like the bunny hop. 1. It’s a lot of fun. 2. It’s good exercise. 3. It reminds me of health transformations. Even though most of us — myself included — want a swift, linear, upward trajectory, it doesn’t usually work that way. 

Heath transformations often meander. Sometimes, it may seem as though we are standing still as we investigate and tap into the resources available to us. But the work that we put into learning and experimenting with new lifestyle changes is important and will help propel us forward. Sometimes we take a hop forward only to experience an unexpected setback such as an illness, a particularly hectic week at work, etc. Sometimes it may feel like we will never have any forward momentum. However, with the help of a good coach, we can recover from our setbacks and move forward by leaps and bounds. Before we know it, we can cross the threshold and reach our goals. 

If you feel like you are stuck on your health journey, ask yourself whether you are truly stuck or are you in the midst of a meandering transformation. If you’re stuck, I urge you to find someone who can guide you along your journey.  

Happy hopping. Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy week. 

Have you ever been afraid to learn something?

I was once supervising a small group of elementary school girls when one of the girl’s shoes came untied. When another girl pointed it out, the girl with the untied shoes defiantly claimed that she preferred them that way. That was abnormal behavior for her — she was usually so sweet. 

I had a gut feeling that she couldn’t tie her shoes and her defiance was her way to protect herself. I told her that she didn’t have to tie her shoes. However, she would have to tuck her shoelaces in so she wouldn’t trip. When a look of relief crossed her face, I knew I was right. 

Later that day I pulled her aside and offered to teach her how to tie her shoes. She gratefully agreed. She told me she had been bullied for not being able to tie her shoes. 

Learning something new takes time and practice whether you are learning how to tie your shoes, how to perform a new exercise, or relax 🙂 into a new yoga pose. Sometimes others may catch on more quickly than you. Sometimes you will need to ask for help and guidance over and over and over again. Sometimes you may end up looking incompetent in front of others. It may make you feel vulnerable, but don’t give up. Just like you’ve probably gotten really good at tying your shoes, you can get better at whatever you are trying to learn. 

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

It feels like yesterday that I was escorting several young campers to the bathrooms in the woods. I waited outside as they used the facilities. They were gone for only a moment before one of the young girls ran back. She was screaming that there was a spider in one of the stalls. She looked to me for help. She didn’t know that I too was afraid of spiders.

I was her caretaker. It was my job to take care of her — not reinforce her fear of spiders by screaming too. I told her that if she didn’t feel comfortable using the stall with the spider in it, she could use another stall, or I could take the spider outside. Of course, she wanted the spider out 🙂 I grabbed a leaf from the ground, mustered all of the courage I could, and walked into the stall. I scooped the spider onto the leaf and escorted that spider outside.

If I was alone, I too might have left that stall and used the one furthest from the spider. I may have even walked to the restroom across camp.

As caretakers, we often push past things that make us feel uncomfortable if it means it helps those we care for. However, it is sometimes harder to muster that same courage for ourselves. We may underestimate our strength and discount our courage.

Just like it takes courage to escort a spider out of a building when you are scared of spiders, it takes courage to commit to a health and wellness program. Luckily — you are strong.

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

A fellow yoga teacher once shared that she would spend a lot of time and effort preparing nutritious meals for her children. However, she rarely prepared enough for herself and ended up eating the scraps. She was then famished and often reached for something quick and easy — junk food.  

This yoga teacher is a caretaker who took excellent care of her children and her students but neglected to take proper care of herself. While I can’t say I’ve been in this exact situation, I can certainly relate. I too have put others’ needs above my own to the point where my health was affected.  

If you can relate to this story, you may be a caretaker as well — a caretaker who isn’t taking care of yourself. 

While it is wonderful that we care so much about others, we matter too. We are human, and we have needs. We need quality food, quality sleep, and quality exercise. We need to take care of ourselves, so that we can more effectively care for others — today and for years to come.

If changing your lifestyle seems impossible, don’t be afraid to ask a fellow caretaker for some support. As you know, we love to help.

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

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday. It is a time when many people gather in front of televisions and watch elite athletes perform at their prime. They make a very demanding sport look easy. They make it look so easy that some us may have found ourselves exasperatedly yelling “Come on!” at the TV when a ball is fumbled, a pass is narrowly missed, or a tackle isn’t made.

The truth is, it isn’t easy — it isn’t easy at all. The players get tired, they get sore, and they even sometimes get hurt. It is a testament to their hours upon hours of practice that their moves look effortless.

Many of us start our fitness journeys expecting it to be easy. Instead, we quickly realize how difficult it is. We may get tired after our warm up or we may get sore after the fifth rep. When this happens, we may get exasperated and want to exasperatedly yell to ourselves “Come on!”

If you are just starting your fitness journey, I urge you to be patient with yourself. It isn’t easy, but with time and practice it will get easier.

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

A school nurse once told me that she received letters from former students. The authors of these letters thanked her for believing in them when no one else did. This school nurse was a cheerleader — someone who believed in others and encouraged them to be their best selves. 

There are many types of cheerleaders  — from school nurses and teachers to immediate and extended family members to coaches and instructors to the friendly server at your favorite restaurant or barista at your local coffee shop. You may be fortunate enough to have one or many cheerleaders in your life.   

Getting healthy, especially when you have allowed your health to take a back seat, is a challenging task. This task becomes easier with a cheerleader’s encouragement. 

I have spent many seasons hiding my big dreams from my cheerleaders because I feared that I would fail and somehow let them down too. By not including them on my journey, I only made things harder for myself. Of course, my cheerleaders would have cheered me on regardless of how things ended up. They would have enjoyed helping me — even if the big dream wasn’t accomplished.

If you are embarking on a fitness journey and are fortunate enough to have a cheerleader in your life, I encourage you to share your journey. If you aren’t as lucky, that’s okay — but you may want to recruit a cheerleader. 

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

This week I saw someone greet a crowded room with a warm “Happy New Year.” She had been using this greeting since the start of the New Year. In the prior weeks, “Happy New Year” was enthusiastically echoed back. This time, it fell flat. It fell so flat that it was uncomfortable to watch her try to recover.  

I could relate to her excitement, but I can also relate to the room’s dismissive response. It’s already three weeks into the New Year. For many, the excitement has worn off. There are certainly years in my life where being greeted with “Happy New Year” three weeks past January 1st would have been a painful reminder that I had given up on my new exercise routine — again.

If you’re about to give up on your exercise routine – please don’t.  Maybe you initially wanted to go from coach potato to 5k hero in a month. Maybe you now realize that that isn’t realistic for you. Reevaluate and set a new goal or intention, but Don’t Give Up.  

This is your year to create and celebrate the healthy habits that will make more good days. Remember why you started in the first place, and feel free to ask for help.  

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

I used to work far away from where I lived. The commute was horrible. It seemed like every other day I was witnessing an accident or was stuck in some other unexpected delay. I knew if I wanted to keep my job and my sanity, I needed to make some adjustments. 

I wasn’t familiar with the area so I began experimenting with my commute. I learned a lot and my commute changed for the better.

• I learned to avoid particular accident-prone intersections.
• I learned to avoid school bus boarding zones. 
• I learned to avoid construction zones. 
• I learned that traffic varied by the day of the week.
• I learned that if I came to work a little early, I usually found a better parking spot faster. 

Even though I still had a commute, it wasn’t nearly as daunting.

Exercise is similar. It’s tough to get into a fitness routine at first. You may encounter a lot of roadblocks, construction zones, accident-prone intersections, etc. 

Experiments will help. You’ll learn ways to make exercising smoother. A coach or friend who has dealt with these issues can save you some time and expedite your progress so that you live life to the fullest and make more good days.

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