I want to share my fitness story: a story about overcoming self-doubt, embracing movement, and proving that it's truly never too late to start your fitness journey, or any journey for that matter.

 

Prefer to listen?

 

Believe it or not, I wasn't always the fitness enthusiast I am today. In fact, gym class was my least favorite subject in school. Running felt like torture, and let's not even mention sit-ups! I remember dragging my feet to class and feeling discouraged.

Fast forward to my 40s, and things hadn't changed much. Then, a friend invited me on a Wednesday morning run. I was hesitant – 5 kilometers seemed like an impossible feat! After each run, my hips were hurting – the kind of pain no one wants to feel.

One day at the gym, I saw a sign for "leg day" classes. Perfect, I thought! This was the turning point. For the first time, I learned proper form – how to run correctly, how to avoid injuries, and how to truly engage my muscles and use gravity to my advantage for move...

I have 10 ideas for us to hit your daily steps without struggling in the gym or taking a long walk! 

 Ready? 

Morning

• Brush Teeth While Walking: Multitask by getting in some steps while you brush your teeth. 

At Work

• Park Far: Whenever you go out, intentionally park your car a bit farther away from your destination. 
• Walk and Talk: Make your phone calls or video chats more active by pacing around while you chat. 
• Use a Stand-Up Desk: If you have the option, work at a stand-up desk to avoid sitting for too long. 
• Hourly Movement Breaks: Set a reminder to get up and move around for a few minutes every hour. 
• Take a Longer Route to the Bathroom: Don't choose the closest restroom; opt for one that requires a bit of a walk. 
• Pick Up Things in the Office / House: Use tidying up as an opportunity to get extra steps in. 

At Home

• Kitchen Circles: While waiting for something to cook in the microwave, make circles around your kitchen. 
• Watch TV and Walk: Instead of...

Hey there, fitness enthusiasts or not! 🌟 Have you ever considered the remarkable impact of awareness on your fitness journey? It's time to dive into the world of mindfulness and discover how small changes can make a big difference. Welcome to a blog post that's all about unlocking your potential through simple steps.

The Power of Awareness

Picture this: it's not just about the formal exercise routines; it's about paying attention to what you're already doing (or not doing) while you move (or not move). This concept of awareness creates a habit that has the potential to revolutionize your fitness routine. Let's explore how to kickstart your daily movement habit and achieve those wellness goals.

The Proper Posture Workshop Insights

In our recent Proper Posture Workshop, we delved into the intricate details of postural elements. From the basics like keeping your shoulders down to more specific techniques like tucking your tummy and elongating your chest, we covered a plethora of...

Just go to the bathroom! You can literally do the full-body workout on the way to the bathroom!

 

Exercising at least two times a week is non-negotiable healthy habit BUT how to do that if you are just tooooo busy??

 

In this message we won't talk about a scheduled exercising, like allocating 30 min at a specific time. 

Instead, we will talk about how to squeeze any kind of movement into the flow of your day and how to start so small that it easy to develop the habit of fitting in exercise a minute or two at a time.

The fun part, this approach incorporates both being active and exercising! 

 

This technique is good for those who:

• Need to just get started exercising
• Too busy to exercise during the day
• Too tired  to exercise in the evening 
• Family demands get in the way of exercising 
• Fell off the track for a while and need to restart
• Just simply ain't feeling like it

Ready to be amazed how easy it is to succeed?

 

Step 1. Go tiny. 

We often want all or none...

Strength, balance, fitness, fun and time saving! 

 Let’s take a tour of what happens in every one of my fitness classes, regardless of the level of intensity.

And, by the way, this is the same structure I use whether you are a private client, join a live group class, or work out to a recording on your own.

Let's dive into the three major parts of the class:

Part 1. Warm up with dynamic stretching to increase mobility, joint range of motion, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory readiness. Simply put, you are now ready for a safe workout. We do this portion for about two minutes.

Part 2. The main workout is a functional exercise routine to ensure body confidence in daily life by increasing our muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness. This portion is usually about 15 to 25 minutes depending on the class.

1-min Plank (for levels 2 and 3 with modifications shown) to finish the class together as a group. 

Part 3. Stretching of all muscle groups to cool down a...

Want to look forward to exercising? Listen to this message or keep reading.

"I don't like exercising" is the comment I get A LOT.

And we obviously understand we have to exercise to keep our bodies healthy.

The question is

how do we change our minds so that we can look forward to exercising and actually enjoy it?

Allow me to offer you the Tool. It works for most but here is the disclaimer: I don't know if it will work for you. To check it out,  give it an honest effort for a week.

Ready for the tool?

SMILE

When we smile, we trick our brain to enjoy the current activity. The same goes with exercise. The brain is gonna say: ah, she is smiling so we must be enjoying exercising; let me release happy hormones for her. You will naturally start feeling good; emotionally,  physically, and  mentally. 

Let's dive deeper: choose joy. 

Here are three strategies to choose joy in exercise:

Before.

Before you exercise or even when you catch yourself thinking o...

Hi {{ first_name }},

In this message, we'll talk about types of pain, the causes of pain, and five steps to breaking the pain cycle.

Do you know someone who is in pain? Maybe it is you.

Have you found that when we experience pain, it's really hard to say Yes to many things such as exercising, being active with your grandchildren, and even eating healthier?

We do want to be stronger, feel less inflamed, have more energy, and just simply feel better. We have all positive intentions of doing good but pain cuts into all our good efforts. 

How do we handle pain? Precisely, how do we break the vicious cycle of pain?

If you or you know someone who is experiencing pain, please keep reading. This message may be just the life and happiness saver they need!

The most important foundational step to breaking the cycle of discomfort is to tune into your body and to have two-way communication. 

Btw, what kind of pain are we talking about?
Physical pain (when your body is inflamed or misa...

Below are the five things that I see most of us do without knowing of a better way. I get these questions very often, so allow me to explain.

5 Things to Stop Doing and 5 Things to Start Doing Instead

1. Stop crunches for losing belly fat. Instead, do full body strength workouts. Focus on functional movement. The body loses weight evenly, not just in the place, like your belly, where you do resistance, like crunches. Doing full body workouts tones your muscles; the muscles will burn more body fat, even at rest. Another benefit of a full body workout is building your strength. 

2. Stop sweating for an hour and pushing too hard each time you workout. Instead, get into the habit of moving your body daily, 20-30 minutes.

Sweating hard for an hour breaks down your muscles and drains energy so much that you risk injuring yourself and being sore, or you may even get sick so you can't workout for 2-4 days. Instead, do a 20-30 minute daily full body workout. Take a break for on...

Does this picture remind you your posture?

 I am curious if you already seating up straight. :-)

How do we achieve physical strength? 

How do we prevent or fully recover from injuries?

How shall we exercise so we can benefit by feeling confident and strong in daily life?

In my recent video I talk about two major elements of building your body’s strength inside out: functional movement and re-aligning your body via corrective exercise.

Corrective Exercise

is a technique that leverages an understanding of anatomy, kinesiology, and biomechanics to address and fix movement compensations and imbalances to improve the overall quality of movement during workouts and in everyday life.

Corrective Exercise is used to help assess and determine the root cause of imbalances and faulty movement patterns that lead to issues with posture, balance, and total body coordination. It is achieved through a human movement assessment. If you like to have one done for you, schedule yo...

Are you in pain? Inflamed? Stiff? Aching? 

Do you know you need to exercise but it's painful to even think about. Or you haven't exercised forever for fear of making it worse?

The truth is:

Sometimes,  the very thing we dread doing is the very thing we must be doing.

In this letter, I will share with you  how to exercise when the body is in pain. Ready to dive in right away?

Step 1. Do you know why your body is in pain? The most important step is to discover the source of pain. Once you determine you can start to move your body, here are some steps you can start with.

1. Move every day within your capabilities. Since we are talking about movement, consider that movement is the very thing that often will help you feel less pain. 
2. Understand which foods are anti-inflammatory and begin to include them in your diet.  

Look what Stephanie says:

"Had an awesome low- impact workout today with Nadya. They are predicting snow tomorrow here in Maine and the barometric pressur...