Keep Moving

I recently created and led a 6 week Strength Training & Endurance course for some teen athletes in my community. It was a funny mash up of expectations because their parents wanted them to take the class to prevent injury and they wanted to get body.

I finished the first (and second) class asking the ladies if they had any goals for the class. It was clear they were there for the booty work. It made me laugh and also triggered internal sermons on body love and acceptance. I kept those to myself.

Reading between the lines, it was clear they just wanted to feel good in their own bodies. Which is a desire we all have on some level. Why don't we always just naturally feel good just as we are? That's a good question and a rather deep personal journey ...

As a personal trainer, I have watched many people set out to "get body" and realize along the way, they also needed to "get this life". To get health, to get clarity, to get fulfillment, to get free. I definitely believe movement can be a guide in our lives. Our bodies are full of wisdom and insight. As we nourish and strengthen them, we tap into those gifts.

So, keep moving as much as you can! Keep sweating as much as you can! Keep bucking the oppressive messaging in this world that's trying to invade your mind, as much as you can! And get this life.

Happy January.

Rest is a Practice

Rest has been a word that is popping up a lot lately. Over the past few years “rest days” has been a term thrown around in the fitness world. And now the concept of rest is being used not just to signify resting your muscles, but resting your mind and your energy as well. This resonates deeply at this moment in particular. 

We need to take care of ourselves so we can continue fighting for justice in this world. We need to take care of ourselves so we can show up in all the individual ways that are important to us in this life. 

This type of rest is about more than just getting enough sleep. Though, that too is critical. I think rest is about finding ways throughout my days and weeks where I can find pockets of stillness and ease. Where I am free of tension and pressure in my mind and my body. 

The state that I feel after a really great workout is rest. I treasure the feeling I get after doing hard sprints or a hot yoga class. The space that I feel after a walk in the forest is rest. The space that I feel when I go flower “hunting” with my nugget is rest. Stopping to quite literally smell the flowers, is pure rest. 

So my question to you is, are you resting? What does rest look like to you? What does it feel like? When do you feel most rested? Who do you feel most rested around? Do you need more rest in your life?

I know that personally I need to be more deliberate about creating this space in my everyday life. Perhaps this is something for you to explore this summer. To take it a step further, perhaps there is a way you can help someone else have more rest in their life as well. 

We need rest so that we can rise. Happy resting. 

Fitness Simplifed: Where to Start (or How to get Back on Track)

In this moment of intense change and upheaval, I am learning that the practice of reconnecting with what is essential in our daily lives is crucial. Without a doubt we are all thinking about life and health and their absolute value no matter the circumstances. Right now it is important to consider that, even in a crisis, even in a revolution, even when it seems almost impossible, finding ways to take care of our health is essential.

The art of taking care of ourselves has many beautiful layers worth unpacking. But today let’s talk about the physical. The fitness. The movement. The sweat. 

Physical activity is part of the healthy lifestyle equation. Period. The next question to answer is how frequently should one be working out and how hard. The recommended guidelines for physical activity are a great place to start this discussion. They state: “at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more”. 

That is just 22 minutes a day, 7 days a week. Or five days of 30 minutes a day. Or three days of 50 minute workouts ...

You can break that 150 minutes down however you want, but this is your baseline. Take note of the wording: “moderate-to-vigorous intensity”, so we aren’t talking about 20 minutes of savasana (though that certainly sounds lovely and please do that after). You must get your heart rate up. Think running, biking, brisk (super brisk/almost running) walking, circuit training and other activities that require that level of exertion. 

Next, you need a plan and a way to stay accountable. When you are busy, overwhelmed or in crisis, even 20 minutes can seem like a major task. Don’t be hard on yourself, just remember your body needs to be taken care of right now. Creating a plan to make this happen can really help.

So, you have some homework for this week. Do an assessment on where you are at with your physical activity. Write a simple, cancel-proof plan for how you’re going to take it up a notch with your fitness. If you are just starting out or having a hard time getting back into your healthy flow, think about how you will get your heartrate up for 22 minutes a day (or however you decide to break your 150 minutes down). Then figure out how you will hold yourself accountable (perhaps a close friend or an accountability fitness group). If you are already meeting your baseline requirements, take some time to figure out what is missing from your routine. Is there something you can add or take away to get even more benefit out of your regiment? 

This is an important global moment. We are fighting for change, working to end racism and navigating a pandemic all at the same time. We will find ourselves overwhelmed and distracted away from taking care of ourselves. I hope this article serves as a reminder to make our self-care urgent, to start moving and keep moving.

In a Word.

Last January, some good friends of mine shared their New Year's ritual with me. Instead of making resolutions they choose a word to be their theme or anchor point for the year. 

The simplicity of choosing one word was a revelation. I am definitely a person who tends to create too many goals, fails to create a sustainable action plan, then distracted because I feel overwhelmed by my own list of goals ... you see where this is going. A truly vicious and ridiculous cycle. 

Most people I know seem to have a complicated relationship with "new year's resolutions". While I think it is perfectly acceptable to skip them if they don't resonate, I do believe that taking time to reflect and ponder where it is you want to go, in health and in life, is something we should be doing throughout the year. This idea is the inspiration behind the Chisel Club Quarterly, which I’m launching this month. It will be a newsletter that pops into your inbox four times a year and with the goal of sparking some moments of reflection and growth for you throughout the year.   

Happy reflecting. Happy 2020.

When the Struggle is Real

There have been a lot of changes happening in my life over the past 6 months. I got married, got pregnant, became a stepmom, moved to a new country and essentially gave up my career in New York all in one month. So, you can imagine it has been a whirlwind.

The physical and emotional highs and lows that have come with this journey have been tougher than I imagined. For one, I have had morning sickness (which is actually a 24/7 affliction) from the beginning and it is showing no signs of stopping. Then you add in the fatigue and all sorts of physical changes and ailments (I won’t disturb you with) on top of that, working out has been one of the last things that I want to do most days.

All these major changes have triggered emotional and mental battles on top of the physical ones. There are many days where I feel super low and isolated. Sometimes I feel heavy from my mind to the tips of my toes. These are the days where the smallest things, like going for a walk, feels like a major accomplishment.

Being in the fitness industry sometimes I feel disconnected from my peers, who according to social media always jump out of bed psyched for the day and their next workout. I have not felt like that in months. I often wonder when I will feel like that again. But what I am learning from this moment is how important it is to reconnect with your true motivators and how important it is to have support.

I am super lucky because my partner is completely into health and fitness. He has helped me through the passed few months in ways he doesn’t even know, by encouraging me to stay active and eat healthy, but also not judging me on the days when my workouts are literally only 15 minutes spinning on the bike then 45 minutes of child pose (to quell the nausea). Find a friend or a partner who will support you by both their example and their words.

At the end of the day, regardless of our support systems, it’s up to us to make decisions that will support our own health and wellness. On the hard days, you have to know why you are getting out of bed and putting on your gyms shoes otherwise you won’t do it. As a fitness model in New York, there have been many years where my driving force was aesthetic goals. Right now, I want to have a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby and I want to boost my mood and energy levels. These things get me moving over bikini body inspiration hands down these days, because they are connected to my values and deeper goals of who I want to be today and tomorrow.

Whether you are having a tough pregnancy, a tough year or just a rough week, and taking care of your health feels like a true struggle, know you are not alone. Think about the role fitness can play in your life now and in creating the life you want. What are your deeper goals that you can go to when the going gets tough. Write them down, post them on your mirror, tell your room mate, partner, best friend, accountability partner and keep striving to live a healthier life.

The Start of Something New

For at least a year I have been thinking a lot about what is missing in the fitness community. I don’t have a definitive answer to that still. But what I do come back to over and over is the question of what is health? What does true, vibrant health look like on a day to day basis?

The World Health Organization’s definition is as follows:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

This definition resonates with me deeply. It is something I want to explore personally as well as a trinity I want to tease out with my clients, friends, family and anyone who is ready to start having a broader conversation about how to approach a holistic health in their lives.

Thus, I’m starting this blog at a time where this balance has become particularly important and particularly challenging for me personally. When I look around me and I see what is happening in the world - intimately and in the world at large, I know I am not the only one struggling with this quest.

I hope that ongoing dialogue, epiphanies, solutions, community will come out of opening up a space for exploring topics around physical, mental and social well-being. The name Chisel Club was born out of this idea that we get to “chisel” our own lives; not just our physical presence but our mental and emotional well being as well. In order to do that we need tools, we need support, sometimes we need a blueprint for inspiration. I hope you will join me in this conversation, sharing your own insights, inspiration,  questions and challenges along the way.