Your Exercise Plan for Winter 🏋️

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In just a few short weeks, the holidays will be over and New Year’s resolutions will have people flooding into the gyms and eschewing sugar. For a short while. Most of us know reasons why our resolutions fizzle out not long after the champagne celebrations and the Times Square ball drop. One, we’ve overloaded ourselves with drastic changes and, two, we didn’t even give ourselves a stretch or running start. Hopefully we will inspire you to start now with bringing exercise into winter.

Express yourself

What do you like to, not should, do? What forms of physical activity do you enjoy engaging in that get you into a state of flow or make you feel the best?

Think back to toys, games, sports and activities you enjoyed in your youth. Did you enjoy softball, kickball, soccer or tennis? There are teams and leagues for those activities in most towns.

What about swimming, street hockey, playing tag, or spending hours bicycling on your own or with friends? There are elements of each activity you enjoyed that can be brought back into your present state.

For example, ballet as a youth might have turned into dancing at clubs or bars and now could further morph into salsa, ballroom, or even Irish dancing.

Flying solo? It’s adventure time! Perhaps you loved ‘field day’ at school; you may not find it fun to potato sack race by yourself, but that’s what Meetup groups are for! You can find others who enjoy the same activities you do, like hiking combined with mushroom hunting, even if they are relatively obscure.

If you enjoyed martial arts when you were younger, you might enjoy taking it back up and going to classes at a studio, or you might want to consider practicing punches on a boxing bag.

Equipment needed

Indoors

These should all be easier to obtain after the buying sprees of 2020, thankfully. Check out your local buy/sell/trade groups or even Ebay for some secondhand equipment. If you want brand-new, consider what you truly need and where to start.

For example, since we aren’t traveling to our Pilates and barre classes during potentially hazardous weather, we have obtained the bands, ball, and mat needed to do the activity.

Like biking? We’ve put our bike on this stand for the third year in a row and have it set up in front of a TV so we can run YouTube videos and pretend we are riding through Europe. Do what you need to do to make life fun and get the exercise done.

Yoga is probably one of the most accessible, least equipment-heavy activities. A simple mat, a YouTube video (we like Yoga with Adriene), and maybe a cute bunny or two is all we need.

Ready to walk around with better posture and stronger bones and muscles? Look into equipment like the ones we use in our home gym area: free weights (2lb, 5lb, and 10lb) and these adjustable free weights, a medicine ball, more resistance bands/cords and this beastly Power Tower.

Want more fun? If your ceilings are high enough and you have good balance, consider an indoor mini-trampoline (it’s on our wish list from Santa this year too :)).

If you have a partner, kids, or friends who will play, a ping pong table is pretty great.

A gym might be the place to join when you are looking to swim indoors or to lift a number of heavy weights and don’t want to fill your basement with stuff that will gather dust.

Outdoor protection and gear

Protect your core temperature (no pun intended) with an insulating shirt for cold weather. We’ve had this one for over a decade and it fulfills the duty for which it was intended. This is the men’s version.

If you want a soft, warm hat that shows you have a sense of humor about winter, our sister site CraftyBeavers is the place to go.

Ice and snow grips are worth having for your shoes, especially if you plan to walk or run during the winter months; this is the one we have. It has saved us from falling and injury; well worth the monetary exchange.

If you want to be able to pause or play a podcast on your phone, try these mittens that open into fingerless gloves so that your entire hand doesn’t freeze.

Need extra warmth? Call upon the trusty air-activated hand warmers or some rechargeable ones.

Remember sunscreen! Just because it’s cold and cloudy doesn’t mean we can’t have our skin damaged by the sun’s invisible radiation rays.

Or, try a thermal fleece breathable balaclava or ski mask which will help protect your skin from UV rays and the cold.

As you can see here, there are plenty of options to keep our hearts and bodies healthy! Keep in mind that you can slowly build up your equipment. Just start with picking one or two items that will help you achieve your goals.

Winter is not the enemy of our exercise, we just have to adjust to the season. A truism the Nordic people like to share is “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” Now that you have an idea of the most suitable type of exercise for you as well as the equipment required to perform the activity and protect yourself from the elements, you’re ready – half the battle has been won! Start now; don’t wait for January 1st.

Build a Better Body Bootcamp

You know your health and body image aren’t where you want them to be. You also realize that short-term resolutions and yo-yo dieting is not the answer.

The Build a Better Body Bootcamp is a 6-week program designed to help you improve the elements of your diet that lead to sustainable changes in body composition and weight loss. During these 6 weeks, we will cut through the confusion and provide the tools you need to jumpstart your better body. Topics include:

• Deceptive marketing and nutritional confusion
• Navigating nutrition facts labels
• Building better meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• MyPlate and portion sizes
• Healthier snack and dessert options
• Measuring and tracking your success
• Sodium, sugar and fat
• Navigating social events with ease
• Better restaurant & fast food options
• Styles of eating

Many of us have been stuck in nutritional confusion for so long (“are eggs good for me? What about coffee? Am I eating too much fruit?”) without support to actually make the changes we desire.

By using the tools and getting clarity and support from our private community, you’ll be able to take this dedicated time to springboard yourself into healthier habits. Benefits include:

• Jump-starting your new eating protocol, not a fad ‘diet’
• Learning how to feed yourself, and your family, better
• Changing your body composition – feel stronger, leaner, and more toned
• Feeling better
• Having more energy
• Better digestion and regular bowel movements
• Improvement of chronic health issues

Here are the details. The 6-week Build a Better Body Bootcamp starts on Wednesday, April 27th and ends Wednesday, June 8th.

• Includes weekly live meeting with Integrative & Functional Dietitian-Nutritionist where we breakdown topics into bite-sized action steps
• Tools and recipes
• Private Facebook group for community support
• Skills practice
• Accountability and resources

Ready to rock a better body? Let’s go!

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Fast-action BONUS: for those who know they are ready to make the changes and sign up by Monday, April 18th you’ll be able to join our next Sugar Detox Challenge, beginning May 22nd, for FREE!  (Valued at $197)

Questions? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute call.

10 Ways to Increase Body Love

A recent interview with a journalist brought more to light about the importance of body positivity and how to practice accepting and loving our bodies. Part of the work we do here is not about nutrition at all. It’s about helping people see themselves, first as they really are, in that moment, and helping to change their mindset on the way to advancing to a more whole life. What does this involve? It involves treating yourself kindly and learning to be your own best friend. It involves respecting yourself and your body – in self-talk, with exercise & sleep, and how you feed it.

Here are 10 tips to increase love for you body; perhaps it will provide an ‘aha’ moment for you too, or at least encourage you to take a small moment and express gratitude for your earthly body.

1. You’re in good company if the first thing you do in the mornings is hurl an insult at yourself. Many clients have shared the thoughts that run through their heads and there’s a similar thread of “oh great, I have bags under my eyes,” “ugh, my thighs are so fat! How did I let this happen?! Okay, now I really need to buckle down with my diet this week.” What kind of tone does this set for the day and your week? One of disappointment, temporary resolve, and self-loathing. Solution: 2 put-ups for every put-down. Every time you have negative self-talk, you have to say two good things about your body or personality.
2. Remember that your body is the temple of your spirit; your body is also like a fancy car. How would you treat such objects? Surely any dirt in a temple would be cleaned up; surely you’d not put 87-grade fuel into a Porsche, right? Perhaps consider how you could show your body respect and reverence.
3. Focus on how you Feel in your body, not just your appearance.
4. Ask yourself why you are grateful for your body today. Were you blessed with the ability to dance to music? What about the ability to walk (remembering that not everyone can)? Are you grateful for your curly hair? Can you be glad you have strong thighs, even if they aren’t the size you’d like? Do you appreciate the beauty your eyes feast upon everyday; or merely appreciate that you Can see?
5. Clothe yourself comfortably and in a way that shows your self-respect. Wearing a giant tent of a t-shirt and stretchy gym pants can be part of a ‘depression uniform.’ By wearing a fashionable dress and highlighting your attractive features, you start feeling better about yourself…and that often leads to wanting to DO better for yourself (i.e. making a healthier choice)…which can lead to looking better.
6. Treat your body like a baby. Honor your body’s needs and act accordingly. Eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired. Don’t always push yourself so hard.
7.  Write a love note. You’ve likely done it for others; now it’s time to catalog some of those qualities you adore about yourself. Keep them handy for days when you’re feeling less-than-stellar.
8. Forgive yourself everyday for one thing you didn’t do perfectly (i.e. eating a cookie or two, or a sleeve of them).
9. Remember: hindsight is 20/20. When you’re 70 or 80, you’ll probably look at photos of yourself and think you were hot stuff. Why don’t we try on that perspective now?
10. Besides your physical appearance, do you have certain attributes or character traits that you admire about yourself? Perhaps you make others laugh easily, are a great leader or writer, are an expert paddle-boarder or French cook. Sometimes appreciating the beauty inside helps us connect with it on the outside.

BONUS: Your body LOVES you. Every cell in your body is working to keep you alive and well. It’s your ally, not enemy. Why be at war with it?

You can check out the full article 20 Ways to Have a More Positive Body Image and a very fitting blog about this same topic from a couple of years back!

 

Fun-house Mirrors & Creating a Positive Body Image

photo source: ourimgs.com

What do fun-house mirrors and body image have in common?  Both often involve distortion.

This time of year can make it particularly difficult to see ourselves as we really are and can wreak havoc with our sense of self-worth. The warm weather and sunshine go hand-in-hand with wearing shorts, tank tops, and, ah yes, the dreaded swimming outfit. We are bombarded by ads and magazines heralding this as ‘bathing suit season’ and instructing us on how to lose weight before going to the pool, on vacation, or to the next wedding. This can cause an obsession around how our bodies look, and thus, how we feel about ourselves.

Lean or curvy, everyone has fat and ‘trouble spots’; accepting it the first step towards fostering a healthy body image. There is no one right body type. All people have a healthy range of weights and body fat percentages where they look and feel their best. The scale can hold such power over us – and yet it doesn’t inform on how weight is distributed on our frames nor does it provide accurate feedback on our health status.

Creating and Maintaining a Positive Body Image

A healthy self-image is one of the most important things we can have for continued growth and mental health. This involves loving the whole person staring back at you in the mirror each day. Instead of focusing on what you perceive as flaws, you see and accept who you are entirely.  Here are some tips on creating and maintaining a healthy body image:

1. Appreciate how your body allows you to do some of your favorite physical activities – running, yoga, rollerblading, and more. Your body is an excellent vehicle taking you through life.

2. Create a mental list of the top five non-physical components of yourself. Are you loyal, caring, adventurous?

3. Beauty is as beauty does. It is a state of mind grounded in confidence and openness, with an action of compassion for others. It is not purely a physical attribute.

4. Surround yourself with positive, happy people.  It’s quite challenging to be a ray of sunshine in the midst of a bunch of dark, gray clouds. Find others who reflect a positive inner self out to the world.

5. Refrain from comparing yourself to others. It’s a complete waste of energy and a happiness drain to wish to be another or to have what they possess. Instead, focus on yourself, the progress you have made, and the goals for your life.

If you are having a hard time getting into a positive mindset,check out this video from Dove for a reminder that you are more beautiful than you believe yourself to be.

5 Mindful Eating Tips for Everyone

Source: http://www.illawarramercury.com.au

For a majority of those living in the U.S., the action of eating is seen typically as a task– something usually done in the span of 10-15 minutes with the location often being in a car or in front of a screen. The three-plus meals a day are thrown down the hatch and often in such quantities as to cause discomfort about 20 minutes later along with the realization of having over-eaten. In times of stress or emotional unrest, eating is seen as a comforting activity. The good news: eating mindfully can start with the next meal. Here’s how:

• Eat your meals together – not only will this help maintain a cohesive family and social life but it gets everyone away from the pervasive screens of everyday life, at least during mealtime. Bring attention to the sight, textures, and taste of food while you converse and share with others.
• Check in with yourself to assess hunger level and then serve the amount of food needed to satiate. This improves connection between mind and body as an association is made with serving sizes and satiety levels.
• Reduce temptation to over-eat by serving meals in the kitchen and eating at the dining room, rather than keeping bowls and platters of food on the table. Try not to keep many leftovers as that can be a temptation for distracted eating later on in the day.
• Don’t be the food police. People have to learn for themselves how much food it takes to feel physically satisfied. It can be a challenge not to try to control, especially when trying to ‘help’ child stay thin or healthy. Often, when mealtimes and amounts are controlled, a child may resort to sneaking food and can develop unhealthy eating patterns later in life.
• Ask yourself important questions. Do you only eat healthily when trying to lose weight? Are children and friends hearing disparaging comments you make about your body? Do you feel ashamed when you choose certain foods or eat too much? If so, tackling these problems by enlisting the support of a health coach can help you create positive changes and prevent passing on these issues to other family members, especially children.

Mindfulness techniques, over time, will help establish emotional hunger versus physical hunger. Discover food intolerances and allergies by becoming more aware of how food makes you feel during this process as well.

We all want to be comfortable in our own skin. Be honest & compassionate towards yourself with the quality and quantity of foods you eat, as well as the motivation behind eating.