Take A Breath

There is a time and a place for almost everything, right? This specifically rings true for health and wellness of the body. Since being in the fitness field for over sixteen years now, I have seen many exercise fads come and go. Right now we are in the heat of all things done fast, heavy, and/or to the extreme. In 2020 I urge you to slow it down a little bit and feel the difference in your body. In my opinion, too many people are beating their bodies in to the ground and not receiving the results they are looking for- mainly because their body is holding on to inflammation, their cortisol levels are too high, and they are eating too much because their bodies are demanding more calories from their high intensity workouts.

I urge you to go back to the basics. Invite more walking in to your routine and lessen your cardio load- not everything has to be running, sprinting and burpees. Of course a solid two days per week is perfect for the mix up and to change the molecular structure of your energy system, but shy away from doing these harsh movements more than three times per week.

Yoga? Vinyasa flow? Oooooh, I am a sucker for that. But, I recognize that myself and almost the whole room of class goers have incorrect form because we are moving a little too fast to truly focus on our alignment and take the time to adjust. Try taking a breath and rewind. Enroll in a basics class where the teacher is available to adjust your body and teach you the foundation of each posture without the flow part. Sink in to each position. Feel in to your mind, body and spirit while there.

The same goes for barbell lifting and CrossFit style classes. Now listen, I used to be in love with this type of movement and I am not saying you should quit your membership. But I am saying to reevaluate what you are doing on your off days- are you properly resting? These workouts can beat your body up really good and cause injury if you overexert yourself. Take time to stretch, focus on mobility, and sleep in a little longer. If you are noticing that you are taking longer to recover from your workouts, feel sluggish, or are always injured, that may be a sign that your body needs more rest than you are giving it.

In a nutshell I am urging you to take a breath. I firsthand have seen such a difference in my physical, mental and emotional health since readjusting the way I sweat and move my body. Now on the flip side of the coin, if you are barely moving, it is time to up the steps, sister! You intuitively know what you should be doing.... just do it.

Namaste!