Got back pain? Sometimes random things will happen and that’s okay. There’s a solution to every problem. Today while spending time catching up over coffee with a friend my back out of nowhere suddenly started hurting and I felt discomfort when breathing. It felt as if a disc had slipped in my back.
When this happened I naturally went to the chiropractor as I do personally feel like they help me a lot with relief even if it is initially temporary. I understand people have opposing perspectives on this which is totally ok. There are other solutions. I also recommend seeing a good physical therapist who can help teach you stretches and proper form when doing things such as exercising and stretching. If you find yourself in this kind of pain you can use an inversion stretching table to hang upside down to stretch your entire body. You can also use an ice pack for about 10 to 20 minutes at a time to reduce nerve activity, swelling and pain.
Refer back to this if you’re ever in a pinch for tips when it comes to spinal care.
Merry Christmas 🎁 I hope you are having the most magical holiday! Make sure to fully enjoy yourself and be present with loved ones or friends, enjoy delicious food, and stay jolly. ❤️
Merry Christmas 🎁 A little something for you from my last Christmas photoshoot.
Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas 🎄 I’m so thankful for all of you, and hope everyone gets to enjoy the incredible holiday each one of you deserves!
Let’s go with the flow. Stretching will have you feeling relaxed, as it has been proven to actually calm your central nervous system.
Feeling anxious? Especially around this time of year with everything going on when it comes to holiday plans, parties, cooking, etc. Take a couple minutes to let go of everything and just focus on the movement you are currently doing. Focus on the present. Your mind and body will thank you afterwards.
When you reach a state of relaxation, you’re welcome. 😉 Now let’s stretch in peace. ✌🏽
Wishing you all the best and good vibes on your fitness journey. No matter what it looks like or where you’re starting from the possibilities are endless to get you to your goal big or small.
You CAN do it. Even if you gained 10-15 lbs over the holidays, we can reverse that. There’s always a way. So once the self pity party is over (if that’s the case) for you not feeling your best in your holiday clothes, it’s time to get to work.
Little habits over time add up to grander changes over time. These can look like swapping the elevator for the stairs at home or work, eating predominately whole foods versus snacking all day long on unhealthy packaged foods, and opting to get in 30 minutes minimum of a physical activity daily. So stay optimistic it’s all going to be better than ever, all you have to do is choose that for yourself.
Fitness is a lifestyle.
You can design your life anyway you would like. The same applies to when it comes to the way you choose to stay physically fit.
You can get schedule your workout around your day, you can choose to include workout partners such as a friend or spouse to make it more fun, change up your music playlist to stay inspired, include outdoor activities to prevent plateaus, the list literally goes on and on like a Christmas list.
How are you going to design your lifestyle when it comes to the world of fitness. Fit it in your day. I promise it will be worth it when you’re feeling on top of the world.
Go with your Gut.
You ever wonder why your intuition speaks to you through your gut? It’s because your gut is known as your second brain.🧠
The gut–brain axis is one of the most powerful relationships in our body. Our enteric nervous system is made up of 100 million neurons, the network of nerve cells lining the digestive tract is so extensive that it has earned the nickname the second brain.
Between the base of the brain and our gut there is a thick cable of neurons that form called the vagus nerve. This serves as a way for information to pass through between the brain and gut sending messages to one another within milliseconds.
In order to keep your mind and body in shape and sharp when it comes to maintaining mental clarity and having an overall good mood. You’re going to want to feed your body right. Because we literally become what we consume.
The hardest lift of all is lifting your bum off the couch. Although it can be simple to fall into complacent routines, choosing the one that’s more challenging, will be more rewarding in the long run.
Once you stop training for a lengthier period of time it’s so much easier to keep the momentum going because it feels second nature to naturally accomplish your workout within the 24 hours that we get blessed with each day.
If you stop exercising for too long it gets harder to get back into the groove of things. Personally I don’t like to take more then 2 days off in a row, once it hits 3 you start feeling more sluggish or not as energized.
Keep the momentum going, you’ve got this!
Today we’re lifting heavy shopping 🛍️ bags. You can actually burn way more calories throughout your day while doing regular things such as holiday shopping.
Never underestimate how many calories you can burn in situations like this for what’s known as your TDEE which is your total daily energy expenditure. These are the calories you burn throughout your day doing tasks like running errands, going on a walk, walking your dog, shopping, food shopping, the list goes on.
Park further away from the stores to get those extra steps in.
In light of todays travel 🧭 I wanted to share with you that it is actually super easy to get a solid suitcase workout in.
Whether it’s a 15lb backpack carry on or a 50lbs maxed out filled suitcase there are so many different types of lifts you can do with this.
Suitcase Squats
Single Arm Back Rows
Elevated Push-Ups
Overhead Shoulder Press
Try some of these out next time you’re headed to your next destination if you don’t have time to hit the weights, and let me know what you think.
Leg stretches are such a nice release of muscle tension. Here are different kinds of leg stretches you can do to feel extra flexible. This is going to help improve both short-term and long-term range of motion.
Toe Touches
Pigeon Pose
Piriformis Stretch
Lunge with Spinal Twist
Standing Hamstring Stretches
Quad Stretch
Inner Thigh Stretch
Supine Leg Stretch
Let’s get flexible!
Can’t wait for you all to see what’s in store because today is photoshoot day. Lots more fitness and other shenanigans coming your way. Stay tuned for workout videos galore. Have a great day fit fam!
Be like a Butterfly 🦋
Let’s stretch it out.
Benefits of the butterfly stretch are that it helps to loosen up your hips, back and also inner thighs.
It may ease any discomfort you feel overall.
It also provides a calming effect which may help you manage and let go of stress.
Try it out and be free like a butterfly.
Let me do you a favor and boost your dopamine levels aka help you become happier naturally.
Dopamine is known as a neurotransmitter. Dopamine is responsible for allowing you to feel motivated, pleasure and satisfaction.
What allows you to get your fix of more dopamine? Engaging in exercise, getting enough sleep, listening to music, meditating, and spending time in the sun can all boost dopamine levels. Overall, a balanced diet and lifestyle can help you achieve your natural happy high.
Some people like to refer to the bend and snap in Legally Blonde the movie 🎥
I prefer to talk about the lunge and lift in your very own movie where you are the star building back better mental and physical muscles than ever before in the gym.
Next time you think about having a lazy day bingeing Netflix, reflect and take into count how amazing you will feel after an incredibly empowering workout. Then you can proceed to reward yourself with things like a little tv action.
Don’t set yourself up to fail by resenting not doing that workout like you planned on. Do it. Train your mind to overcome excuses, just like you would train your muscles in the gym.
Workout hard in order to relax accordingly.
Let’s stretch it out. Why you may ask? Let me tell you!
Improves your overall posture.
Decreases muscle stiffness and increases range of motion.
Can help reduce your risk of injury.
Helps relieve post-exercise aches and pains.
Helps manage or even reduce your stress levels.
Stretching has also been shown to activate your parasympathetic nervous system. What this means is that when this particular system is activated, it can result in you experiencing feeling calm and relaxed.
So whether you’re feeling anxious right now or about to embark on a workout go stretch. Let me know how you feel afterwards.
I don’t know about you but Sundays are a day of rest for me.
Allowing your body optimal time to rest and recover is key for growth. Making sure to take a step back to allow your mind to unwind from all of the day to day busy bee duties is going to allow you to come back more focused when you do.
There are benefits to rest days just as there are for the days you go ham in the gym. As with anything balance creates beauty.
Let’s ride :)
Biking makes for such an incredible workout when done right. Personally I recommend either opting to take a class on a stationary bike such as this one, or bike ride on a trail or with friends to make it more fun. Had the best sweat I’ve had in a long time! When you have someone pushing you plus the right tunes aka edm was the pick of the day, plus a trainer pushing you to keep going strong it helps make for one heck of a drenched intense workout.
Try it out. If you’re looking to get your own bike many brands have deals on them right now especially around the holidays.
Time to rev up that cardiovascular system.
When it comes to fitness, there is not one size that fits all. Everyone has different preferences and enjoys different training styles. Here are some that you can choose from to spice things up for you if you’ve hit a plateau or simply just want a change.
High intensity interval training
Interval training
Strength training
Aerobic exercise
Cross training
Pilates
Bodyweight exercises
Anaerobic exercises
Yoga
…the list goes on. Find the style of training you’re most passionate about and watch the results follow.
Drop it like it’s hot 🥵
There are so many exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home. Don’t let the excuses get in the way. We all have the same 24 hours, let’s make the most of it shall we.
Ready, set, FLEX 💪🏽
If you want to get hot arms that will allow you to feel strong and sexy then listen up buttercup.
There are many exercises you can do to achieve this look. Here are some of my personal favorites:
Cross Body Curls
Overhead Tricep Extension
Plank Shoulder Taps
Arnold Presses
Alternating Bicep Curls
Side Lateral Raise to Front Raise
Upright Rows
Reverse Flys
Try ‘em out and let me know which one is your favorite?!
One of my all time favorite shoulder exercises is alternating dumbbell front raises.
It is so effective! Here’s how to do perform this one.
Pick up two dumbbells keeping your arms and body straight, wrists neutral.
Lift the dumbbell to the front, keeping your elbow slightly bent and the palm of your hand facing down. Keep moving up until your arm is positioned slightly above parallel to the floor.
Exhale as you raise your arms and inhale as you lower them.
Lower the left dumbbell slowly back down until you reach the starting position. Lift the right dumbbell up at the same time.
Continue in this manner until you have completed the number of reps you want to do in each set for each arm.
Let me know how you like this one!?
Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded.
Workout with intention.
Live with purpose.
Exude confidence in all you do down to the very core of your being.
You did not wake up today to be mediocre. Choose greatness every chance you get.
I promise you’re worth it.
Let’s walk it out in elliptical style.
The elliptical is a great form of cardio especially since it’s easy on your joints and gets both your upper and lower body working. Let’s make some moves shall we.
Get your yoga mat and let’s hit the beach. There are several different exercises you can do from the comfort of the sand.
Ditch the shoes and 9-5 let’s catch some rays and waves while getting in a good sweat for the day.
For one it’s similar to working out in a sauna because of the higher temperatures, making the results that much more impactful due to burning even more calories.
Equipment-less Beach Workout:
Plank Leg Lifts
Plank Up Downs
Jump Squats
Bum Kicks
This one can be seen on my OFTV channel. Be sure to check it out if you want more video tutorials.
https://of.tv/creators/gym-goddess/
There are so many effective home exercises you can do to rev up your metabolism. Often times I hear people say you cannot get a good workout in at home however, that is simply not true. You can use your body weight, a couch, a weighted suitcase, water jugs instead of weights. Can creative and have fun with it.
Happy Liftmas
Happy 1st of December. Let’s have an incredible month to finish the year out strong. Something I personally like to do is reflect on what I did well and what needs to be worked on when it comes to physique goals, mindset work, emotional intelligence, financial goals.
One of the main things I’m working on is getting back to building up a stronger immune system by going back to my better ways of eating healthier and really paying attention to nutrition labels. Another thing I’m going to focus on is more consistency with training.
It’s easy to get sidetracked from health to focus on business goals. But remember they go hand in hand. Health is wealth, in the sense that if you aren’t healthy you can’t show up 100% for your business.
So make the choice to focus on all that you needs attention in order to live a better quality of life. Let’s level up together in the new year. 💪🏽🧠
Tricep Bench Dips - this is an exercise you don’t actually need equipment for in order to feel the burn. You can use the couch or chair as an alternative to a bench if you don’t have one.
Glide that back down close towards the bench without touching it. Squeeze on the way back up really focusing on building the strength up in your triceps.
Ready, set, dip!
Alternating front raises are one of my favorite shoulder exercises. It’s a highly effective exercise to grow and define your shoulders.
This is a single-joint exercise targeting the shoulder muscles, particularly the front or anterior deltoids.
The front raise is one of the most effective isolation movements you can add to your training program. You can add this in order to build more strength and lean muscle mass.
💪🏽 Happy Lifting.
Never take your health or the ability to train in the gym for granted.
Ways to take your health to the next level.
Maintain a workout schedule whether you’re going to crush it at the gym or at home to get you on a routine to achieve true results.
Incorporate healthy vitamins to perform optimally in your day to day duties.
Rise early and go to sleep at a decent hour. Aim for 7-8 hours of rem sleep a night to keep your circadian rhythm in check.
Allow yourself to not overdo it in the gym by going ham every time. Have mixed level workouts throughout the week. Some days you can have lighter training sessions as well as a couple of days going hard-core. Changing up the training intensity is going to help prevent plateaus and keep your recovery on point. Because overtime training at a high level for too long can wear down the body.
Remember balance is key as much as is possible. Let’s ring in the new month and the last one of this year with a bang. 💥
