Embodied Awareness: Exploring the Power of Mindful Movement

We know movement and exercise are beneficial for overall health. There is no end to the ways you can move your body, but do you ever feel like you 'should' be running? Or you 'should' be doing more yoga?

When we see children playing at the playground, we are witnessing joy. Movement and joy. They are not thinking that they need to get their daily steps or close a ring on their watch or that they are doing it for their health, but rather the pure enthusiasm that comes from doing what your body is supposed to: MOVE.

Somehow, as adults, we can stray away from this and it's why so many of us can really struggle with finding an exercise practice that we can stick with, and enjoy.

My number one rule for every client that is looking to achieve some kind of fitness routine is to pick something you enjoy.

Hate running? Don't do it. Can't get into the zen zone with yoga, then stop. LOVE crossfit? GO for it! Enjoy long walks? You go Glen Coco!

So how do we bring mindfulness into our movement beyond just choosing something we enjoy? Let's explore!

1. Exercise with Intention: This will always be my number one recommendation. Choose activities that you genuinely enjoy and that align with your goals and values. Whether it's walking, yoga, dancing, or weightlifting, you do you - what brings you joy and fulfillment?

2. Mindful Movement: Approach exercise as an opportunity to connect with your body. Sometimes it can be an opportunity to escape, and that's ok, but we rarely stop to actually pay attention to what our bodies tell us. Be present during your workout, paying attention to the sensations, your breath, and the movement of your muscles.

3. Be Kind to Yourself: Avoid self-judgment or comparison when it comes to exercise, who cares what the person on the bike next to you is doing, or if that woman across the room can touch her toes and you can't? That's not why you showed up.

4. Listen to what your body needs: Not every workout is the same, some days you are going to crush it and feel like a rockstar, and some days, you just feel heavy and slow. Your body is asking for you to give it what it needs, allow some flexibility in your routine to accommodate it.

5. Mindful Rest and Recovery: Allow yourself adequate time for rest and recovery. Listen to your body when it needs a break and honor its need for relaxation and rejuvenation, you can't grow, gain, or get faster without downtime.

6. Mindful Reflection: Take a few moments at the end of the day to reflect on your relationship with exercise. Notice any patterns, emotions, or thoughts that arise. Cultivate awareness and make adjustments as needed.

Embracing mindful movement and cultivating a deep connection between our mind and body can unlock the potential for greater self-awareness, presence, and well-being. It is not about competing with others, or achieving perfection (what is that anyway?) but honoring our bodies and the beauty of where they are in this moment.

Whether it's practicing yoga, engaging in dance, or simply taking a mindful walk in nature, we have the opportunity to fully inhabit our bodies, tune into the present moment, and tap into the wisdom that resides within.

Why You Should Stop Skipping Rest Day

Rest seems illogical - why should I do it?

Because you don't want to get hurt. Sometimes overtraining and not taking the time to let your body recover can lead to overuse injuries or exhaustion which can affect form. Also, injuries mean you might be out of the game for even longer than a day or two, which no one wants. Every athlete deliberately schedules rest days into their program, you should too.

But I feel fine.. won't working out more be better?

It sure sounds great, but not giving your body a break means you don't give your muscles time to repair themselves. Lifting weights actually causes little tears in the muscles that have to get fixed in order to be bigger and stronger. Your muscles need to have time off, just like you need a weekend to feel refreshed on Monday.

If I take too many days off, won't I lose some strength?

You've worked hard for those #gains, and of course, you don't want to lose them. Repeat after me: one day off will not hurt my training progress. Say that again. It takes weeks of inactivity -not just a missed workout here before you'd see muscle loss. When your muscles come back refreshed, rebuilt, and ready to go, and you'll be surprised at how good you feel at your next workout and how your performance might increase.

What about my mind?

I. HEAR. YOU. Exercise is my outlet for managing my stress and anxiety and I NEED it. Giving yourself a little distance from exercise can actually be healthy for not only your body but your brain. Ever feel like you're checking the clock during your workouts or just not pushing as hard as you could be? You can avoid mental burnout and be excited and challenged when you step back to your routine after a day off.

Ok, so you've found yourself on a rest day, what do you do with yourself?

If you're sold on the rest day but still not sure what that actually looks like in practice, here are some ideas. Rest days don't mean you're sitting around doing nothing and can and should include active rest, something that keeps your body moving in a gentle and low-impact way but does not stress your muscles.

Some examples of things you can do on your active rest day :

• Foam Rolling

• Going for a walk

• Yoga

• Stretching

• Hiking (nothing too rigorous)

• Swimming

If you're unsure how to program your workouts or when to take rest days, shoot me an email. I'd be happy to help you or plan a unique program for your goals.

Now get out there and enjoy some well-deserved rest!

Why You Should Be Strength Training

You probably know that strength training or resistance training has a lot of benefits, but it can be intimidating, especially if you haven't done it before. What exercises should I do? How do I know if I'm doing them properly? How much weight should I be lifting? Do I need to take rest days?

I get it, I used to be a cardio queen, I would run 4-5 days a week, cycle on the other days and throw in an occasional yoga. That worked well, in my 20's. I was lucky enough to not suffer any major injuries from overtraining but I noticed I didn't recover quite as easily or would feel sorer after a long run.

When I was in school for my degree in Nutrition & Exercise Science, I started learning about the benefits of strength training and how they actually impact day-to-day life. I got my personal training certification and started working with clients. Not only was I seeing changes in my clients, but I was programming for myself and seeing huge improvements in my balance, stamina during workouts, recovery, and self-confidence. I was hooked.

Strength training is great, especially for tracking progress. Progressively lifting heavier and heavier weights or being able to do more push-ups, hold a plank for longer, squat deeper, help you stay on track, and measure your progress.

Perhaps the biggest benefit for me has been in my daily life. Never did I imagine I'd be carrying around a 25lb weight with one arm for 15 minutes while cooking dinner. Or lifting said 25lb weight in a hiking backpack onto my back with one arm. Carrying that backpack with strong back muscles and legs on long hikes.

For me, motherhood has been the ultimate test of my strength training, and because I put in the time and energy, I can keep up with my active life and feel strong and powerful doing it. And flexing my biceps in the mirror from time to time doesn't hurt either.

If you need a few reasons to take the plunge, check out all these other benefits you can get from regular strength training. This doesn't have to be intimidating, you can start with bodyweight, you just need to work against some resistance.

If you're unsure or have any questions - get in touch! I'd love to create a unique program for you!

Top Reasons to Strength Train

1. Stronger bones - Strength training puts a unique and positive stress on bones by stressing the muscles involved. This can help increase bone density in the long run and prevent fractures later in life.

2. Increase your metabolism - While cardio is great for many reasons, strength training is great for building more muscle. More muscle has the ability to increase your metabolism unlike cardiovascular exercise, and will help you burn more fat, even at rest.

3. Sleep better - All exercise, including strength training has been shown to increase sleep quality in participants. Exercising each day should make it easier to snooze once you hit the sheets at night.

4. Make your heart happy - Along with cardiovascular exercise, strength training has been shown to have benefits for the heart including lowering blood pressure.

5. Get out some stress - Lifting weights and throwing around heavy stuff can be extremely therapeutic and often shown to alleviate stress and anxiety for those who participated on a regular basis.

6. Live Longer - Strength training has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and those who gained more overall strength were more likely to live longer and live independently.

7. Do everyday things easier - Strength training makes it easier to lift that heavy box, carry the groceries into the house in one trip and even simply get up from a seated position. Being stronger will translate to all areas of your life.

8. Improve your balance - Since strength training continues to challenge the body in new ways and develop essential core strength, you will see better balance in all your exercises and in your daily activities.

Are you ready to get started? Fitness is available for everyone, you'll never regret taking the first step, so get out there. You might surprise yourself at what you're capable of.