Holy crap. My first Beast workout of my current 91-day challenge was super hard today! I can certainly tell I have been slacking in the lifting department!! 40 minutes of lifting this morning and worked the whole body including the core! I am feeling like total body rubber at the moment!
In the workout program today, the trainer refers to the lady in the workout as the momma-beast and so I decided I am gonna work towards being the granny-beast.? Sounds like a motivating goal to me!?
Time for a superfood recovery shake and some eggs for extra protein! I hope you have a healthy and active day!!
Now THAT is something worth fighting for!!! My health is something that I do not take for granted any longer! No way!
I spent too many years out of shape, in pain, digestion not working worth a crap (literally), painful knees, fatigue, poor sleep, constant lower back issues and miserable in the head too! That’s no way to live!! I am so happy that I made the decision 2 years ago that I was going to change this!
The decision was made after going through every medical test known to man including colonoscopy and finding out that there was nothing medically wrong with me!!! Ultimately I was just unhealthy, fat and out of shape! What an epiphany that was!!!
I said NO MORE and started working my ass off, superfood and professional fitness every day and clean eating and my body totally transformed. …and guess what? My whole mental health and mood transformed with it since my body was now running efficiently and my hormones were better balanced too! And you know what happens when you become a happier and more fun person? Your whole life changes!
Oh yes, believe me, the decision I made 2 years ago was the best decision of my life and I will NEVER EVER go back to how I was.
To transform your body and your health, be sure to join me for my next accountability and support group for superfood and fitness. There are programs for everyone from beginners to even the most conditioned athlete! CONTACT ME NOW to get started!
Seriously! When I started on my health and fitness journey 2 years ago, I could not even do more than a couple push-ups on my knees or more than a few minutes of jumping jacks before being out of breath! It’s amazing what our body can achieve if we push it to do more each day. I guess that is the power of the compound effect. You may not think that each and every workout makes a difference in the long run, but in fact they DO! Every snack choice (an apple instead of a Hershey bar) and every decision we make towards a healthier choice (no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it is) every single day does matter!
Choose to be active instead of sitting on the couch. Choose to do a workout instead of wasting time scrolling social media. Choose a garden salad with roasted chicken instead of a burger at the restaurant. Just by making these better choices each and every day and adding superfoods to my diet, I have dropped 42 pounds and am feeling the strongest and healthiest that I have in my life! Now as a grandmother, I can call myself the MMA Granny and I have earned it! ?
The compound effect of each and every choice we make each and every day really does matter. Keep that in mind for today and as you think about what you will do to be healthier in the next month! We all mess up once in awhile since we are human after all, but if we mess up too often, that has a compound effect in the wrong direction!
To download 7 tips on ways to increase self-discipline power, be sure to get your FREE DOWNLOAD HERE.
Literally jumpstarting your morning with a workout really boosts energy and positivity for the whole day
There are so many good things about having a morning routine! It is a great jumpstart to your day! Plyometrics, 1.5 L of water, superfood and a day planning session this morning definitely gave me a jump start today?
From what I have read… When it comes to looking at what things make people successful in life, it is apparent that if you snooze, you lose…literally! Hitting the snooze button too many times leaving yourself with limited time in the morning or with then-rushed routine, is just not a good way to start the day. Ignoring the snooze button and kicking off your day right seems to make a big difference.
What are some key things we can do to start our day right?
Hydration
After going all night without water, we typically need to boost our hydration in the morning. Having 500 mL to 1 L with lemon can really get you going, and give a good kickstart to the day.
Exercise
By sweating it out before breakfast, it gets your blood pumping (endorphins!) and helps you to feel on top of your game all day (better focus) plus it makes your body burn more calories all day. Its a great outlet to burn off stress. Making good use of this time by adding some good stretching and thinking about strategies to make it a good day (inspire yourself!) while sitting in those stretch poses can really get you feeling more organized. The bonus is, an early morning workout typically doesn’t get interrupted since everyone is still sleeping!
Read or Listen
Take 15 min to read or listen to books that get your fired up for your day. Good personal development books, tips for success and ideas for strategizing your business or workday can really get you feeling excited and positive for your day. During this time, think about things you are thankful for and happy about to really get the positive juices flowing.
Strategic Planning
Spending even 10 minutes setting up a plan for your day can really make things flow more smoothly. What are the “musts” for today? Who are the key contacts or duties? Anything critical that needs to be done for the household to run smoothly? Anything that needs to be done or dropped off before or after work? What can I do on my lunch break at work that will be productive? Anticipating issues and having plan B already on your mind can really help you to control your day instead of having the day control you.
Can this Work Even if you are not a morning person?
Yes! I was never a morning person, but being determined to establish a new routine of “my time”, I kept using tricks to make myself get up. One trick was having my alarm clock out of reach so that I had to get up to turn it off. It was annoying, but it definitely worked! LOL.. Some days it is still not easy, but I see so many benefits in my life as a result of a morning routine that it is motivating to keep doing it each day
If I think back to how my life was before I implemented a morning routine… hitting snooze button, barely having enough time to get ready for work, missing breakfast, starting off without a plan, in a rush and in a grouchy mood…it just was not a good scenario and I never EVER want to go back to that again!
Many of the most successful people in the world, have at least some kind of early morning routine that allows them to be the most happy, productive and effective people. It will be worth it to implement some kind of morning routine into your life. I know it has made a big difference in my life.
The only thing between you and your goals is that BS story you keep feeling yourself as to why you can’t do it!! This is what my personal trainer told me this morning during my weighted cardio workout and she is totally right!! How many times did we make excuses and even what we believe is “good reasons” as to why we didn’t achieve our goals! Far too many! …and in fact we tell ourselves these things do many times that we actually start truly believing they are facts! Scary if you really think about it!
I have learned to recognize it when I have come up with a story… such as being too tired, having no money, not enough sleep, not enough time, telling myself I am just an emotional eater (which then somehow made it OK?), sore muscles, feet aching, sore back from a busy day at work, stress from having a 2-year old, lack of sleep, too young, too old, no good at it, not capable, can’t trust the opposite sex, don’t know how…and the story list just goes on and on and on…!! The sad part is that we believe these things, identify with them and let them rule our lives!
I have been through all of these excuses and stories myself! Sometimes when you come from a background of abuse, the stories can get pretty bad. For example, you may believe you are worth nothing, are useless, not loved, not important, not worthy of love and so many more horrible things! You can imagine, that if a person lived with those beliefs (stories) that their life would not be very good, successful or full of happiness! I have had to work hard to overcome many of these stories. It was not easy, but I am proof that it is totally possible to change your perception of yourself and to change how you perceive your past experiences too!
How do I work on overcoming these stories? Keep in mind, this is always a work in progress. My mentor (the late Jim Rohn) speaks about those stories, beliefs and thoughts and uses them as a metaphor like “weeds” growing in a garden. This is a great metaphor because if you think about it….you cannot ignore those weeds because they will totally overtake the whole garden (weeds of the mind). Those weeds need to be removed and even once you get the whole garden cleared out of those weeds…what happens? YES!…those weeds keep trying to come back, so you have to continuously keep pulling out the ones that come up.
This is the same way with those stories…
Once you realize (finally gain insight into yourself) the numerous stories (lies) you have been telling yourself about why you cannot do things or achieve things…its like suddenly noticing your beautiful garden (mind) is packed solid with weeds!! AHA! This was definitely an AHA moment for me. I got myself a coach and started working at getting those weeds pulled out. It took months of work, emotional turmoil and challenging times…but, believe me, I got that darn garden mostly cleared out …out of pure determination. However, I realized that a person has to be well-aware that those weeds (stories, lies) will keep trying to come back and keep an eye on the garden at all times to remove them once they pop up! The lesson here was for me NOT to ignore those feelings, but rather allow them to happen, recognize them, and realize where they are coming from and correct them immediately.
Having this kind of awareness can totally change your life. Often, to develop this awareness and clean out the garden takes extra help. Don’t hesitate to get help with this (remember, asking for help is a sign of strength). Once you take the time to learn this, then you will start to recognize the stories (lies) once they happen. Once they are recognized, you can stop, identify the lie and replace it with the truth that you know is there. Its a magical process and is definitely worth learning about! Once you get to work on this, you will be blown away at what you are capable of achieving in your life!
I have to admit…the workout this morning was a killer one! 9 rounds of hopping, jumping, twisting, pushing, pulling…on the floor, then off the floor …yup, not an ounce of energy left by the time I was done this 38 minute workout!! ?. I guess a person can think of it this way…by pushing yourself to do something that is difficult and outside what would be considered “easy” that is how you grow and improve! Bonus…I guess it was worth pushing myself today …I will be stronger for the next time and I am building my self-discipline ‘muscle’ which will help me in many other areas of my life too! ??
Wait! …Isn’t it just easier to stay in my comfort zone?
NO!
Each of us has our own “comfort zone” which is far more than a describable place. It is a mental, emotional and behavioral place that kind of is all about the routine of our daily life. When we are in our “comfort zone”, it suggests the place of safety, familiarity and security for us. Being in this place has us comfy and calm, has minimal emotional change, and even is somewhat free of worry. People create a comfort zone at times to have a healthy place to go to relax and enjoy life, which is fine. BUT, stepping out of our comfort zone is what it will take to actually change, grow and transform our lives!!
Experiencing some stress here and there and facing fears is actually a good thing. If all you ever do is strive to stay wrapped up in your little cocoon, keeping warm and cozy, you may be missing out on quite a lot in life. Perhaps you will have little to no new experiences, minimal challenges, and take no risks.
Taking no risks and not facing fears = ZERO progress in life!
Be sure to take time to look at the big picture in your life. It is important to look at every area when thinking about this concept… such as business, personal, family, health, fitness, financial, emotional etc… If you have a hard time stepping out of your comfort zone you may experience difficulty making changes, growing in life, and ultimately, improving your life in amazing ways! Remember, growing as an individual actually helps you to keep up with the times, define your passions and to help give your life personal meaning.
In simple terms, what we fear most about challenging ourselves is that we may fail and/or get hurt in the process. IF we let this stop us, we will never achieve anything! Consider this one…the majority of us totally have the ability to rise up, face fears, overcome obstacles and totally succeed in accomplishing new and challenging things! We just have to WANT to!
Be open minded, face your fears and for heaven’s sake…life live to the fullest by taking chances, challenging yourself and making progress and growing as a person…you will be so HAPPY that you did !!
PS. If you have trouble moving out of your comfort zone due to extreme fear, it may be time to recruit the help of a coach to help you to overcome those fears… life is too short! Time to LIVE!
To join the Athletic Grandma community, and to get a FREE download about 7 ways to increase your self-discipline, click HERE!
Tai Cheng is slow and gentle exercise, but effective for joint health and pain reduction.
Illness and injury can make it feel impossible to move, much less work out.I know.
I injured my hand recently, and it makes exercising difficult sometimes.
I’ve had to adapt. Thankfully, the sports medicine doctors said my hand is healing well and won’t need surgery. Still, I need to be mindful of the limitation while it heals.
Working out is possible, even when we have pain. Actually, working out can actually help with our pain. We just have to adapt.
Today I want to talk about a specific kind of pain; arthritis.
The joint inflammation of arthritis causes can be painful and exhausting. While medication is often used to manage pain, it’s really not enough.
As a Nurse Practitioner and zealous proponent for prevention, I often see the element of exercise is overlooked as an effective management tool for many kinds of arthritis.
Physical activity is critical, even for someone with arthritis.
Regular exercise maintains and strengthens muscles, keeps them flexible, and even helps control pain and swelling in the joints. Beyond the physiological benefits, exercise has its psychological rewards too – decreasing stress, improving mood, and having a relaxing effect. Exercise is a powerful tool.
Exercises to Decrease Pain and Increase Mobility
There are a lot of different ways to approach exercise for pain management. (People with arthritis are much more capable of activity than they often think.) Here are a a few exercises to reduce pain and increase mobility, among other benefits. Key thing to remember – many exercises can be adapted to your strength and fitness level. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Chair Stand
Stand in front of a chair, with back of knees touching chair. Place your hands on the arms of the chair, shoulder width apart. Then, supporting your weight on your arms, bend at the elbow, lowering yourself a bit and then pushing yourself back up. You will be able to dip your butt down lower to the seat of the chair as time goes on once you get stronger. You can even start this exercise by lowering yourself to the seat of your chair slowly and deliberately each time you go to sit. This activity alone will strengthen your arms more than you can imagine!
Yoga, Tai Cheng, Pilates/Piyo
Did you know stretching strengthens muscles? It does. And methods like yoga, Tai Cheng and piyo/pilates are fantastic programs for it. Can’t get out to the club? No problem – they can come to you in at-home DVD programs! Caution: as with any of these options, check with your doctor or NP first. It is important to start slowly and gradually increase the exercises as you get stronger. Be sure to do this and don’t overdo it too fast or you may be vulnerable to injury.
Walking
Don’t underestimate the power of going for a walk every day. Movement gets our blood flowing, muscles working, and the body functioning more optimally. This is essential for reducing pain and inflammation in the joints. Whether you do it on a treadmill, out on the road, or on an Elliptical machine for reduced joint impact, the point is to get moving.
Aquasize / Aqua-therapy
Check your local pool or YMCA for aqua-size class times. You may be fortunate enough to have a therapeutic pool in your area, which is even better for arthritis. There, water is kept at a warmer temperature (25.5 – 28°C), and the pool has access ramps for easier entry.
Weight Lifting
Yes, weight lifting is not only possible for someone with arthritis pain, but highly beneficial. As with many of these options, it’s best to get professional advice from your medical practitioner or fitness coach about how to proceed, but don’t let that stop you!
Cycling
If walking impacts the joints too much, or you just happen to enjoy cycling, it’s a great alternative to get that blood flowing to muscles and joints. Hit the road for a scenic trip, or hop on a stationary bike at home or in a gym. It is a good idea to combine this with yoga or Tai Cheng to ensure you have good balance before heading out on the road!
Recreation
A wealth of active recreation options can be beneficial too, if done carefully. Such activities include golf, hiking, raking, curling, bowling, or gardening. The important thing is to do something that’s both comfortable and enjoyable.
Benefits of Exercise to Arthritis:
The physical benefits of exercise to someone with arthritis are huge. Low-impact aerobics, strength training, and other activities listed above can help reduce joint stiffness (and prevent stiffness too!), build muscle, improve endurance, and benefit your heart and bones. Plus, you’ll feel great too – your mood will be improved, stress and anxiety reduced, and you’ll feel more relaxed.
Don’t know where to start? I can help.
Find out which at home fitness programs would benefit you most, or how clean eating will transform your health too! (join the facebook clean eatery group by clicking HERE).
Take a few minutes to watch this Tai Cheng Video.… To do this complete program may totally change your life!!
Once you get stronger and want to build up your core strength, you may be ready to move on to Piyo, which is an incredible program that combines pilates and yoga to help with back pain and create a solid core and strong muscles!
To get set up on a home-based programs or if you would like further information about options and recommendations, please CONTACT ME.
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Feed the body AND the mind what it needs every day.
Having my superfood shake after a good MMA Plyo workout this morning… I started thinking about how important nutrients are to our body. Superfood nutrition is essential for maximal energy, to aid weight loss and to boost sense of well-being. Nutrients we take in are only part of the story for the health of our mind though. Our mind needs healthy information fuel as well!
They say “the mind is what the mind is fed”.. mind food doesn’t come in packages though and you can’t buy it at the store. Mind food is your environment–all those countless things that influence our conscious and subconscious thought. The kind of mind food we take in determines our habits, attitudes and personality.
The mind reflects what its environment feeds it just as the body reflects the food you feed it.
Is this really true?
Habits and mannerisms that we have are typically picked up from other people. Just try to find one that isn’t! Even weird little things like the way we walk, words we use, hold a cup, the way we dress, preference for music are all influenced by what we experience and pick up from others.
The most important point here is that even the size of our thinking, our goals, attitudes and personality are formed by the environment. If we have associations with negative people, it makes us think more negative! If we have associations with petty people, it will also develop petty habits in us too! On the other hand…association with people who are big thinkers and ambitious people, can bring those things out in us too!
Certain types of people tend to discourage others and tell them that what they dream of cannot be done. These types of people usually are unsuccessful and are often only mediocre in terms of what they have ever accomplished. Don’t let these type of people discourage you from your dreams!!
The late Jim Rohn, a mentor of mine, states that we become the 5 people we spend the most time with… and if you think about environmental influences and how they affect our behavior and habits, its totally TRUE! “Birds of a feather flock together”…and since how we think is directly affected by the group we are in, be sure you are in the flock that things right!
Besides being around the influence of people, the kind of information we feed our minds every day is also important and influences our brain chemistry, positivity, and belief in ourselves and the world. Watching world news and reading the newspaper full of negativity can be draining on our emotional energy (and we do not realize just how much!). Spending time playing mindless video games, reading fiction and watching extended amounts of TV shows all waste mental energy and all have an impact on our thinking and our potential for success.
So, what would good mind food be?
Listen to motivating podcasts, read inspirational books (or listen to audio books) about how to think bigger and to improve yourself and read inspirational stories of success. Use these stories and books to inspire you, to throw all of that thought poison out of your environment…to help you stay positive and to be a good person. Learn positive ways of being and have your new attitude be your ally towards a happy and successful life and to encourage others! Making the switch to positive mind food for me has completely changed my life, my relationships, my attitude, my belief in the world and myself …and my zest for life!
Overall, clean eating and superfood nutrition are essential for our physical and mental health, to have a healthy weight, avoid chronic disease and to have healthy energy levels. We often forget that the food for our mind is just as important to feel happy, accomplished and positive. Take some time today to think about what you can do to rid yourself of negative influences and to implement some more positive habits to feed your mind in a good way and work at being a good example for others.
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Being fit is far more than just big muscles and strength! It’s about being able to move, twist, jump, maneuver, run…and more …all without getting injured! The MMA fighters need to do more than just fight to keep up their fitness level, and so should we?. My agility power and a core workout were done this morning with sweat pouring and after it was over I was all smiles because it felt so great! Was a tough workout though!
As we get older, meaning over 40 and beyond, it is incredibly important to work on strength and agility training to maintain our strength, balance, coordination and joint range of motion. Walking is good exercise, but it really is not enough since it doesn’t work the essential muscles or the mind in the ways that agility training does..
Reaction time and coordination slow down as we get older, but we can fight that with only 10-15 min of practise every day. Agility skills help us to react faster, reduce risk for falls and this type of exercises puts pressure on the muscles and bones which help to keep them healthy and strong. With agility training, our posture improves, giving more upright walking stance and confidence and have less discomfort in our back.
The benefits of Tai Chi, yoga, Tai Cheng (take a minute to watch the video) with their slow controlled movements also really help to increase range of motion, balance, co-ordination and flexibility. If you don’t have time or feel comfortable going out to a class for this type of exercises, we have this type of program available on DVD or digital streaming and it can be used at home.
Dancing is also another good exercise to improve agility. It can be very fun and social activity as well, which is a bonus.. Dancing benefits not only our physical agility, but also our mental agility and reduces cognitive decline (BONUS!). There are many kind of dance available and if you would rather dance at home, there are country dance programs that can be done at home as well!
Remember as a kid we used to play hop scotch? Just that little bit of hopping, balancing on one leg really trains the brain and builds agility. Consider playing with your kids or grandkids and reminisce about those fun times and enjoy!! It will feel more like fun than exercise for sure. This morning with my workout (check out my current core blasting fighting program!), we did something called “Hop Squatch” which is very similar to hop scotch, but only with squats between single foot hops! LOL
By being consistent each and every day and working on agility to some degree, we have better posture, strength, balance and even energy! This will make us even more active in other activities, promote weight loss and a higher level of positivity and self-confidence. It is definitely worth working on and no matter what your age, there are exercises that will help! For more assistance finding a program to suit you, contact your local senior services, or contact me about some effective and fun home based programs that will help you out.
To join the Athletic Grandma Community and receive a FREE download about 7 tips to become more self-disciplined in your life, click HERE.
When I first started my fitness journey, I never would have been able to do a deep squat like this! No way! I had crunchy knees doing stairs and sharp pains in them…not to mention a bad lower back that always seemed to be “going out of place” and causing me sharp pains, pains into my legs and nothing but grief.
The day that I made the decision to put my health and fitness first was when this all changed!
It was a beautiful summer day 3 years ago when I decided to have fun and be silly by doing handstands and cartwheels on the lawn… Turns out, it was not a very good idea! …for 2 full weeks after that I had so much pain in my neck, shoulders, back, hips and even my feet, that I told myself enough is enough already!!! I was asking my self in disgust…”How did I get so out of shape!?”… I seemed to have gotten out of shape so fast! As it turns out, making decisions to eat junk food and skip workouts over a long period of time really didn’t do me any favours!
Something had to be done about this!
Once I made the decision and started working out using a professionally designed workout-at-home program, it was so hard! I could barely do a minute of jumping jacks and I could barely do a push-up on my knees! I thought I was gonna die, but my determination to change and improve my health kept me going. I recruited the help of a physiotherapist whose help I sought out regularly to help manage my pains and to help me adapt my form as I slowly got stronger.
It took a few months of working hard on exercising to start noticing that I had less back pain in the mornings, was walking up stairs with less pain, was getting so much stronger and was building some nice muscle at the same time! I noticed that I was getting heavier on the scale though! All that new muscle was heavy! EEK!
Getting bigger and heavier was not what I wanted!
At this point, I revamped my diet, dialed down my portion sizes and added superfood daily at the suggestion of my Beachbody coach. By this time, I was also able to keep up with the trainer and able to complete the video program instead of continuously adapting due to pain! Within 3 months after starting superfood, clean eating and portion control, I had dropped 35 pounds and was feeling the best I had felt in my life!! I still had some pain in my knees and lower back, but definitely not as often and not as severe…
My successes led me to believe more in myself and what I was capable of. I was motivated to achieve more! I started another program with higher intensity, completed it, then started another, completed it, then another, and another. Now, by this time, my energy was improving, my motivation was getting higher, my pain was getting to be less and less and I was feeling good and strong with the proper nutrition and exercise. This proved to me repeatedly that the work I was doing was not just getting me healthier, it was totally changing my body and its capacity to lift and move in ways I never dreamed of.
3 years later, fast forward to today, I am 42 pounds less than when I started, am committed to my daily superfood, clean eating and portion control as a long-term forever lifestyle. It is very simple system to follow, has really improved my strength, (peri-menopausal) hormone balance and energy, and as I keep going I CONTINUE to improve my body’s capacity to move, bend and lift. I had originally thought I would reach a plateau in terms of what my body is capable of, but it turns out that is not the case!
There is no limit to what can be achieved!
Week by week, workout by workout, I continue to get stronger, and am capable of more! I can run faster, can run up the stairs (no crunchy knees anymore!), can lift and move furniture, carry around my 41 lb grandson, sit all day at a desk, lift and toss bales for my horses, fork hay, do yardwork, shovel snow and can squat deeply with NO PAIN! Who would have thought this was possible? I am proof that it is totally possible to rehabilitate from anything and any physical problem if your mind is determined enough and you have a firm enough belief in yourself.
By transforming physically, it has changed my mindset and attitude as well. I am happier, more positive, feel stronger and more stable emotionally, have improved my relationships (work, home, family, friends), believe in myself more on many levels, and have more passion and excitement for life! (and a bonus is I was able to get off of every prescription medication I was on!)
You may be wondering how this story may impact you? You may be wondering how you too can have a complete body and mind transformation? How can you totally change your life as well? How can you improve your hormone balance, lose weight and become a happier person? My advice for you is to seek out the help of a coach (like me) to support, motivate and keep you accountable and help you through your journey to better health and fitness. I can teach you about superfood, clean eating, portion control and support you through your progress in fitness and even help you get off prescription drugs. I have been through all of this myself, have experienced both the pain, failures, difficulties and challenges, so I totally get how tough it is.
Think about this…
Being on a health and fitness journey is hard, but it is ALSO very hard to live overweight, hormonal, unhappy, in pain and totally miserable. Make a decision today and chose your hard!
To join the Athletic Grandma community, enter your name and email address HERE and receive a free download about 7 ways to improve your self-discipline.
CONTACT ME HERE about getting onto a program that will change your life.
