Eat Sweat Thrive

At -45 this morning, it's *%$#@$* cold out there, so stay inside and sweat If you have stairs, you can do this *fun* workout. After warming up, perform exercises 2 to 4 for 2 minutes each then rest. Repeat as many times as you would like. Turn on some tunes and enjoy Then have a hot bath

I’ve been smaller and I’ve been bigger but who I am never changed. I was anorexic in elementary school and put on more than the ‘freshman 15’ in college. My paternal grandmother always greeted me with a comment about my weight, never asking how I was. The magazines I looked at were filled with extremely thin models and I thought that is how girls and women should look like. My life, like many others, has been inundated with a focus on how I look and it’s not healthy. . It was...n’t until my 40’s that I began to realize how much of my life I had wasted on trying to morph my body to society’s standard. Even now, with putting on a lot of weight since my injury, I struggle with how I look. But, this time it’s different. My focus is on how I feel versus how I look. In the past, I would have hated myself, hated my body and, been in a cycle of bingeing and restricted eating. I refuse to live that way anymore. I refuse to diet. I refuse to measure and track my food. . It doesn’t mean I don’t care. I care a lot. I want to be healthy physically and emotionally and I do not believe that can be achieved if you are solely focused on your physique. I have had clients in their 70s and 80s still dieting and so stressed about their appearance. It breaks my heart. We are so much more than our body. . If you diet and have thin goals, that’s great. That’s your business. I’m just sharing how I feel as a 46-year-old woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt and friend who refuses to strive for a body that society thinks I should have. I strive to be healthy, happy and fit. How my body looks is not my focus. . In the end, I think we need to judge less and support more, whatever your goals are. How do you feel about dieting and body image? What are you striving for?

Don’t forget scapular exercises in your core routine! A well rounded core routine should include at least one exercise that works to stabilize your shoulder blades. Our shoulder blades move in so many ways and do important work, that it is important to give them some attention, too. . Here I am performing two exercises, a ‘Y’ and a ‘T’. Ensure your thumbs are pointing towards the ceiling during the ‘Y’ and that you are raising your arms as high as comfortably possible without other body parts moving (like your lower back!). With the ‘T’, ensure your palms face the floor. With both exercises, think of the movement starting from your shoulder blades rather than your arms. Try a set of 12 and let me know what you think

#wisdomwednesday You only need to be you

#moveitmonday , the ball edition All sorts of great exercises can be done using a stability ball. As an unstable object, your core muscles will be challenged performing exercises on a ball rather than a bench or on the floor. Get rolling and try this fun total body workout!! . Perform 2 sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise, resting 1 minute between sets. With the wall squat holds, set a timer for 10 to 30 seconds. Have questions? DM me

Happy weekend!! I head home tonight after a lovely mom getaway. The hot springs were such a treat. If you're ever in the area, you must visit @halcyonhotsprings . A beautiful oasis tucked in the trees along the lake, Halcyon is the perfect place to relax and recharge.