This will be the first in a short series of getting to know me better. It’s no surprise that my health and wellness (physical and mental) is a priority in my life. It is a lifestyle I have committed to. But trust me when I say I live so much life outside of fitness! I have fitness goals but I also have life goals. My personal life goal for every single day is to “Live the hell out of life”. Being strong, fit and healthy has opened up so many activity opportunities for me, Im definitely going to take advantage of that! Im not one to turn down fun! Its important to know you can be healthy, fit and reach your goals but still enjoy life! I am an ACE certified personal trainer and health coach. Precision certified Level 1 nutritionist. RYT 200 hr Yoga certified. AFSA assisted stretching certified. Fitness enthusiast. Hiker. Horseback Rider. Adventurer. Entrepreneur. Mom to two kids and 2 dogs! I often get asked what my daily life looks like? Or what I eat each day? How often do I work out? What else do I do? Over the next few weeks Ill be answering all those questions!
Although it can be very interesting to know what program and lifestyle someone is following, it is important to remember that not every person has the same goals, and not every person will need to or want to adhere to the same program. What can be learned from what others do is knowing how much you want to change your life, and what level of commitment is right for you. Use a few pieces of someone’s program that feel like a good fit for you. You dont have to use the whole program and probably shouldn’t since we are all so different. . And you dont have to fear that signing up for coaching &/or training will be as intense as your coaches training and lifestyle. But what you can do is learn from it and use the pieces that fit for you and your goals! Im often asked what a typical day looks like for me? How do I fit in exercise every day? I have such a large variety of interests and a lot of stuff going on all the time. I own three businesses. I have 2 kids that are involved in their own sports and I have plenty of animals that make up my family too. It wont come as a surprise that my health and working out every day is a priority for me. So dividing my time between all of these things means that I have to schedule in my work out and meal prep otherwise I wont get to it. It has to be part of my lifestyle for me to succeed. The goals are big, my expectations for myself are huge, and Ive learned enough to know it takes commitment, planning and lifestyle change to be where I want to be. But please remember that is a different place than where you may want to be.
My workout is a very scheduled routine, but I will flex the schedule on everything else that entails my day. The one thing I never flex is my work out. Its always the first thing I do every day. On most days I can wake up at a reasonable time without an alarm. I go to bed early enough (between 9 and 10pm on most nights) to make sure I wake up naturally between 6 and 7 am. Waking up without an alarm is the best way to ensure your body is getting enough sleep. Sleep is very important and often takes a back seat to exercise and nutrition but the reality is, without enough good sleep, you wont reach your goals. More on that in another post.
After a some morning stuff (feeding animals, barn chores, making breakfast for the kids, and other household stuff), I work out. I work out first thing in the morning. In my home gym or go to the gym. If I dont work out first, Im too tired, not motivated or run out of time later in the day. When I have an early morning commitment (or when traveling with the kids for horse shows or leisure or work) sometimes I have to set an alarm as early as 4am to have time to work out before my day begins. It is not my favorite. My performance is not nearly as good because Im so tired. But getting a work out in is a priority for me so I commit. I wake up and get it done. There are usually some (ok, many) thoughts of “why am I doing this?”, “Go back to bed”, “ Just skip today”, etc.… But I do it anyway and when I am done I never regret it. My day is off to a good start and I feel good. Sweating feels so good!
After working out I walk my dogs for 30-45 minutes. Its a great way to keep my body loose after pushing it hard through training. And it gives me time to relax, meditate and spend time with my dogs who are my best friends! Walking is a great low intensity exercise. It tends to be highly undervalued. The benefits of walking are endless. My dogs love it and they need exercise too! They are my accountability partners. Sometimes Im tired and I dont want to go for a walk, but they look at me and I know I cant disappoint them, so we go. And like my 4am work outs, Im happy I followed through. For many people having a gym partner is the same thing. Someone you know is counting on you to be there. They are my accountability partners for my daily walk. Get one for the gym if you need one, it helps!
After walking its time to work. A girls gotta make some some money! Ill work with clients from any or all of my businesses. No matter what job I am doing I stay moving. If Im in the office I use a standing desk. If I am working hands on with a client or teaching I stay walking basically the entire time. I try to move as much as I can all day. Why? Its better for my body. Im not pushing my body hard. Im not breaking a sweat. Im engaging in low intensity movement for the majority of my day. Burning calories, staying mobile, staying loose. Im never stiff or sore. Movement is healthy and I make sure I do plenty of it every single day. I dont count steps, it doesnt matter to me. I just move as much as I can all day long. I dont do anything sitting. After work comes life stuff.
Errands
Cleaning
Cooking dinner for the kids and prepping lunches for school for the next day
Feeding animals (dogs, horses, goats)
Meal prep for me for the next day (this can be as simple as making sure I have what I want to eat in the house already so Im not grabbing take out food or empty calories snacks when short on time. It can also meal packing my lunch and snacks for work if I am going to be on out of my house for long periods of time. Im definitely not skipping a meal or snack so I prep)
Morning work out prep (pre-mixing my workout drinks EAA/BCAA. If I am heading to the gym I make sure my bag is packed and ready on the counter).
Hanging out with kids (games, talking, watching videos)
Basically all things life.
And guess what? I move as much as I can while I am doing all of that too. By moving during all of the things I do each day I am constantly asking my body to move on different planes of motion and in different ways. Up and down. Side to side. Twisting and turning. This will help me stay mobile and flexible as I age. It also increases my NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis). Many small movements make a huge difference in NEAT. Sitting leased to increased risk of CVD, increased BP and BS levels and increased body fat. If what I am doing can be done standing or walking, I stand or walk every time. I only sit when I have to. When there is no other option. Sounds silly but sitting too much is just detrimental to the body and to general health. I also truly enjoying movement and appreciate my body for being the reason I can move and the reason I can do all of these things.
When I have down time at the end of the day I hang out with my kids and dogs, friends, or my boyfriend. Social wellness plays a huge role in longevity too! So it is important to make time for the social interactions that are good for your energy. Social circles can also help support you on this journey. I also spent time going to my sons sports games (football and hockey!) or bringing my daughter to horse shows. Whatever I have for free time I spend as much of that time as I can outside. I love to be outside. I believe in getting as much fresh air and sunlight (safely) as possible.
Another important point to note is that I am a HUGE fan of naps. Especially in the sun. If I have a quick 15 or 20 min of free time during the day you’ll often find me napping in the sun in my backyard. These quick power naps recharge my energy and give me the rest I need for going as hard as I do. I fit in a quick nap whenever I can and I dont feel guilty about it at all! It feels so good. And if my body is telling me I need a nap, I need to listen. In the winter you’ll see me pull in my driveway with the heat on in my car and take a quick nap in my car. I LOVE to be warm! Either way, when a nap calls, I listen.
When I have free time (either a full day or a block of time) I try to go on a hike, rock climb, golf or participate in some sort of an adventure. Alone or with kids or friends. I like to try new things as often as I can. These things are great way to stay moving on many planes of motion, switch things up in my program and allow me ways to exercise outside of the gym. They add variety to my training program. And also balance out high intensity training with moderate and low intensity training. These activities prevent me from getting bored while giving me so many ways to cross train. And as a bonus I have a ton of fun! I add an experience to my life a minimum of once a week. Sometimes more. Its mentally and physically stimulating. Leading an active lifestyle is healthy. Movement is healthy. My day focuses around movement. As much as I can all day, every day. Its good for me. And its an easy way to stack the odds in my favor for longevity and improved health without taking any time out of my day or disrupting my day at all.
One of my favorite hobbies is traveling. I travel a ton. Soon, Ill talk about how I travel so much while maintaining my fitness goals.
Comment and let me know how you make healthy movement a part of your every day life!