Inspire

inspire
To Do More

It takes the smallest word, picture, film, or person to inspire someone to do something great. I dream of being that inspiration for you. It makes me ecstatic to know that I inspired someone to do one thing healthier, pick up a new health food, or even eat a vegetarian meal. Something that has inspired me lately is the Thrive Forward program, which I wrote about here.

I look at plenty of other health, fitness, and wellness sites and find that the personal weight loss stories get the most views. The front page is usually a set of before, during, and after photos of the girl and the website is full of how she lost the weight. People want to know exactly how the person did it: What did they eat? How did they exercise? What supplement did they take? Did they use a weight loss pill, green coffee bean, or ketones? Did they lift weights or do cardio?

That reminds me. People always think that weight lifting and cardio have to be different. They can’t be in the same move or exercise…yet they can! For example, Kettle Bell workouts are weight lifting/strength training and great cardio. You build muscle and get your heart rate to skyrocket. Don’t get stuck wondering if you should be lifting weights or running. Combine moves, use multiple muscle groups, and stay at a medium-fast pace. For example, hold weights and do a squat+ shoulder press. Do them quickly for your high heart rate, and use a heavy weight for the strength. Hint: The higher your heart rate, the more calories you burn, the more weight you lose.

KettleBell
Sculpt

It’s great that people visit these sites and want to know these stories. But I must tell you some truth: What worked for that girl, may not work for you. Any new lower-calorie diet and exercise is going to make you lose weight, but sustainability is what you should be focusing on. What is going to work for you for the rest of your life? What is a type of exercise you love that feels like play?

kickbox
Kick Ass

Personally, I love working out…except most of the time I hate running! I know, I know, a trainer who hates running?! But that doesn’t mean I don’t love dancing, kickboxing, cycling, or any other type of heart-racing activity. I don’t enjoy pounding the pavement or treadmill unless I’m racing someone, doing it for a good cause (Fundraising), or if I’m super stressed (Fight or Flight, right?). If I’m stressed out, angry, or sad- I’ll be glad to sprint on a treadmill for an hour. But most of the time I’m happy, humble, and carefree, and I enjoy doing other sorts of exercises…

Dance
Dance Like No One Is Watching

It’s okay if you hate something, you don’t have to be obligated to doing that thing. As a Personal Trainer I find out what you love to do, and cater your exercise around that. If you want a personalized workout, contact me. 🙂 I’d be happy to help you! First timers are always free.

yoga
Find Peace

My goal is to inspire you, so let me know what you want to see. Do you want to see personal stories? My workouts? My daily food? (I post a lot of that on Twitter!)  Tell me if you’d like some help. Don’t be shy. I won’t judge you.

Best Health,

Nicole

 

Mindful Living

We all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life.

Wake up.

Get Ready.

Go to work.

Come Home.

Eat Dinner.

Workout.

Sleep.

What ever order you do it in, it’s over and over again, day by day, week by week, and before we know it, it’s all over. That is why I’m here to say:

Slow down. 

Take a moment to breathe, listen, and refresh your mind. Yes, we may “relax” by going on Facebook or Pinterest, reading the news, or watching T.V. but those are not refreshing our mind set and letting us live in the moment. A great way to just shut everything out and focus on YOU for a moment is belly breathing.

It is a technique of breathing that slows down your whole body, turns off your fight or flight system (sympathetic nervous system), and lets your body find time to digest, heal, and wind down. Honestly, I don’t do this too often and really should do it more, but I suggest doing it at least once a day for 15 minutes.

Where To Do It 

Anywhere!  Do it where you are now – standing, sitting, lying down, driving – anywhere you are. Stop and belly breathe!

I like to do it right when I’m ready to go to sleep. It helps turn off my brain, let my body relax, and let me have a better sleep.

How To Do It

Pretend your stomach is a red balloon. Put your hands on and feel it. As you breathe in, you push your stomach muscles out, slowly inflating that red balloon, until is about to burst. And then you slowly breathe out your nose, letting it all deflate. You want your muscles and breath to be synchronous (in motion together). They are flowing, in and out, as slow as possible. Make sure you push ALL the air out of the balloon before you let any new air in.

Imagine fresh air coming in to be positive vibes, positive thoughts, dreams, wishes, and smiles. The air going out is negative thoughts, worries, stresses, and tasks of the days. Really suck all that positive air in, fill that great balloon. And sincerely push all that negative out of your life, deflating your red balloon.

Continue until you feel relaxed, your muscles wilt, and your mind is free.