A) Doing it completely on your own
                                             B) Following online programs but not interacting
                               C) Occasionally working out with a friend
                                                             D) Part of a consistent community or accountability group
E) Working with a coach
                                          F) Wanting support but not sure where to find it

Comment below and tell me your answer. 

Because awareness is step one.

And connection might be the missing piece.

You don’t need more willpower.

You might just need more people.

xoxo,

Kim

Not as many of us commute as we did pre-COVID, but plenty of people still spend part of their day in the car getting to and from work. Unfortunately, sitting in a car for extended periods isn’t doing your body any favors.

For starters, driving keeps you in a cramped, repetitive position that can lead to muscle imbalances, tightness, and even pain. With one foot constantly working the gas and brake while the other remains inactive, you can develop a hip imbalance that needs to be counteracted. And if you spend most of your workday sitting as well, that’s even more time reinforcing poor posture and movement patterns.

On top of that, commuting can be exhausting—both mentally and physically. After a long day, the thought of spending even more time in the car to get to the gym (or summoning the energy to work out once you’re home) can feel like too much. But instead of letting your commute take away from your fitness, you can use it to your advantage.

Move While You Drive

Even while seated, you can engage different muscle groups with simple isometric exercises:

• Core activation: Tighten your abs and draw your belly button toward your spine for 30 seconds. Release slightly for two seconds, then engage fully again for a set of 15.

• Pelvic floor engagement: Contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles in a similar pattern.

• Upper body work: Use your steering wheel as resistance—pull against it at different hand positions to engage your upper back, or press inward to activate your chest, arms, and core.

• Lower body balance: Keep your hips even and focus on activating your left leg so it works as much as your right (without compromising safety, of course!).

These small movements can help counteract some of the negative effects of prolonged sitting without distracting you from the road.

Maximize Your Time

Your commute is also a great opportunity to check things off your to-do list, such as:

• Listening to audiobooks, podcasts, or work-related training.

• Catching up with friends and family hands-free.

• Taking care of calls, with a note to have the other party follow up via text or email so you can handle scheduling later.

Plan for Breaks and Better Choices

If your commute is longer than an hour, plan to stop and move when possible. Even a short walk or a few squats during a gas stop can prevent stiffness and discomfort.

And don’t forget about nutrition—pack healthy, easy-to-eat snacks so you’re not tempted by fast food. Apples, nuts, and dried fruit travel well and keep you fueled without the crash.

Stay Hydrated

Car ventilation systems can be dehydrating, and drinking enough water ensures you’ll need to stop for restroom breaks—giving you another reason to get out and stretch your legs.

Make Your Commute Work for You

Instead of letting time in the car drain you, use it strategically. With a little intention, you can turn your commute into an opportunity to support your health, improve your energy, and arrive at your destination feeling better, not worse.

Every year so many of us look forward to the holidays but at the same time have a underlying sense of dread, knowing how difficult it can be to stay on track with our fitness and nutrition goals amid the all the hustle, bustle and celebrations.  I used to be one of those people, but over the last several years that has changed.  Why?  Not only have I used many of the healthy holiday hacks that I am about to share with you, but the biggest difference has come from the fact that before the holiday season arrives, I’ve gone into it with a realistic plan.

A plan is essential to success because it gives you a roadmap of what to do, not only on a daily basis, but also when the unexpected happens!  My plan this year includes; maintaining my weight and body composition by checking the scale each morning and having an upper limit, if I hit that limit adjusting my behavior accordingly, keeping 1 hr workouts in my routine a minimum of 3 x a week (M,T,Th are my goal days) and a total of at least 30 minutes of activity on 3 other days, keeping my diet clean at home with the exception of actual holiday days where I’ll allow myself to freely indulge, and choosing a maximum of 2 celebratory events a week to attend where I’ll use the tips below!  I encourage you to make your own plan as well!

Hacks to make this year’s holiday season healthy!

1. Going to a family gathering? Offer to bring a side - a healthy one like a green salad, so you know there will be at least something you can fill your plate with that will be good for your body as well as your taste buds!

2. Whether it’s a family gathering, a work party, or whatever the celebration, have a small protein and fiber rich snack prior to leaving for the event. A couple hard boiled eggs, cucumbers and whole grain crackers, low fat cottage cheese or nuts paired with fruit, or even a protein shake will do the trick. This will help to keep you from overindulging at the event.

3. Allow yourself to try some of the sweet and rich choices at the event so you don’t feel like you are missing out, but keep it to a taste. Take a smaller plate and just a few bites of your favorite holiday treats.

4. Alcohol is one of the biggest reasons for both weight gain and energy drain over the holidays, but it is also a part of many social occassions. Drink a glass of water before and between any alcoholic drink and consider alternating days - for every day you go out and indulge, plan and stick to a day where you don’t immediately after.

5. Keep your home stocked with easy to grab, helahy options. The holidays can be a busy time so convenience is a huge factor in our food choices. This may be the time of year to buy the pre-cut veggies so you don’t have the extra prep work to do and can stick to healthy snacking. Buy a rotisserie chicken with each weeks shopping trip so you have easy access to clean protein to top a salad with or a quick oven reheat dinner in a pinch.

6. Try healthy substitutions in your holiday recipes. Add applesauce to sweet potatoes instead of sugar. Add some cauliflower to your potato mash. Need a healthy cookie recipe? Try the one in my last blog post!

7. When meeting friends or family, choose to do it in an active way. Stroll the mall together rather than sitting and having coffee. Bundle up and go on a winter hike. The woods are gorgeous after a fresh snowfall - just make sure that you have proper grippy footwear if you are in that climate. Test your balance and core at an ice skating rink!

8. Traveling? Bring resistance bands with you. They are small and easy to pack and guarantee you can get a workout in whatever the space.

9. Keep stress and tension at bay by prioritizing types of exercise that release tension and help you unwind while at the same time engaging your core. Start each day with just 10 minutes of pilates or yoga and end it with 5 - 10 minutes of foam rolling. It will do wonders for your stress level and get you a guaranteed 15 - 20 minutes of fitness in!

I hoe you can put all these hacks to good use and have a happy, healthy holiday season! If you’re looking for more tips, please reach out to schedule a consult or join my mailing list!

If you’ve ever seen one of these oversized stiff looking pool noodles in the gym and wondered what in the world it is, or watched people laying on it rolling all around but have no idea what they are doing, let me enlighten you! The foam roller really is the best kept secret of the exercise community.  It doesn’t an incredible job of loosening up muscles all over your body, which in turn gives weaker muscles greater contraction strength while you work out so you can get quicker gains and achieve muscle balance more easily. A foam roller also can be used in core workouts and gives you some core benefit while you are just stretching out and releasing your muscles.

The whole premise is that your body weight on top of the roller will press in to the muscle like someone would when they give you a deep tissue massage.  When it presses on a knot for roughly 20 seconds, special nerves in the muscle, called golgi tendon, send a signal to your brain to relax the muscle fibers.  Then by rolling very slowly along the facial lines you can grab the muscle fiber and slowly stretch it breaking up tightness, scar tissue etc.

Many people have a love hate relationship with the foam roller because although it does so much good, the pressure can be uncomfortable at first and it may be hard to actually relax and release the muscle until you get used to the feeling.  When you find a tender spot, you want to stay in that spot, breathe through it, taking long deep breaths and imagine the muscle releasing and relaxing.  And that’s what we are shooting for, to wait until that nerve gets the signal and in turn your muscle goes “ahhh…”  If you’re not someone familiar with a deep tissue release, just keep rolling consistently before each workout for a few weeks and eventually your body will cooperate.

There are some contraindications as well as certain places on your body that the foam roller shouldn’t be used. You never want to place the roller directly under a joint and should avoid using it on your low back, abdomen and neck, Though if you need to relax the muscles in those areas, there are safe ways you can do so against a wall with massage balls instead of using your full body weight on the roller.  Also those with osteopenia, osteoporosis or a current DVT should avoid using a foam roller.

Because of the sedentary society and office culture we have today, one of the spots most people find most beneficial to roll is their hip flexors and TFL.  You can do this by leaning forward over the roller on your elbows in a plank position and slowly rolling one leg at a time from the hip crease down toward your knee.  Just make sure keep your upper body in a good plank position with abs contracted, tailbone down and shoulders away from your ears and you’ll get deep into the muscle and work your abs too!  Turn slightly to the outside of your leg to release the TFL, and if you are brave enough, the tighter the muscle the more intense the feeling can be, a little further down the thigh roll all the way to the outside and you’ll be releasing your IT Band.  When those three muscle groups are released, you’ll see much better gains in your glute strength helping with squats, lunges, dead lifts and power in general.

For some added core challenges to your workout, grab a 3 foot foam roller and lay lengthwise on it with your head at one end, tailbone at the other, and your feet on the ground.  From this position, you can do abdominal work. Try contracting your abs and raising one leg to table top at a time. If that’s not a challenge, try raising one and then the other before putting the first one down. You can also try dead bugs and medicine ball passes from side to side on the roller.  Upper body work ,like chest presses and chest flys are also great to do from this position. It challenges your core and gives you a larger range of motion than doing them on the floor.

There are many more ways you can get benefits from incorporating a foam roller into your workout, but if you’re a newbie, these are some great ways to start!

Back to school bugs have already hit our house hard this year so as the official start of cold and flu season approaches, I figure it’s time to start talking about ways you can help your body stay healthy.

I’m going to skip over the typical hygiene habits; hand washing, not touching your face, wiping down surfaces, etc. and focus on some things you might not readily think about that help keep you protected.

First up, hydration. As temperature start to cool down, we tend to think less about drinking water and staying hydrated. Dehydration can slow down body processes and over tax your systems making you more prone to infection.  Blood is mostly made up of water and the more hydrated you are the easier it is for your body to deliver nutrients where they’re needed and its a key component of lymphatic fluid which helps fight infection and remove toxins including bacteria and viruses.  So if big 32 oz Nalgene containers of water aren’t as easy to get down when it’s not hot, try some different strategies.  Start your day with a 16 oz glass of water with lemon (pre-coffee), add several cups of herbal tea to your day, make sure you have water at or before all of your meals and keep a smaller bottle with you at all times.

Exercise is important to stay healthy!  Preventatively, people who exercise 30 - 60 minutes a day most days of the week have a 46% reduction in the number of days of illness each year compared to those who don’t. And yes, light exercise is good even when you’ve been exposed to an illness.  The physical activity can help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways and exercise increases the movement of blood and lymph and can increase antibodies and white blood cell count.  Aerobic exercise like walking and cycling are good as long as you don’t have a fever, but make sure not to overdo it.  Save strength training and other heavy exercise for when you are feeling healthy again.

What you eat and drink can make a huge difference in how your body fights infection.  Bright colored fruits and veggies are loaded with immune boosting vitamin C, but did you know that lots of the B vitamins have energy and immune boosting properties as well?  They help make red blood cells, white blood cells and T cells and can even help destroy free radicals.  B vitamins can be found in small amounts in your fruits and veggies, but are much higher in fish, meat, eggs and dairy.  Trying to avoid the fat and cholesterol of most meat, but want more benefit - try incorporating more fish, bone broth and a small amount of organ meats.  Vitamin D too can help with immunity and elicit anti-viral responses in your cells.  And although your body can produce it, we don’t get as much help from the sun in the winter… mushrooms are a good source as well as oily fish, egg yolks and liver.  Vitamin D has been brought in the spotlight over the past decade as being more essential to many body processes than the medical community previously realized, and is the vitamin that has the highest level of deficiency out of any vitamin in the US population. As far as supplementation, B, and C vitamins are water soluble vitamins so your body gets rid of anything you consume that it doesn’t use each day so its a good idea to have your levels of all three vitamins checked first before starting and make sure you aren’t waisting money and literally flushing those supplements down the drain.

Now, what not to put in…. There’s 2 biggies and they are hard to avoid.  Just like we humans love it, sugar is a favorite food source for bacteria, viruses and pathogens.  Glucose is actually their only source of energy, so eating foods that are already broken down into simple sugar when you are sick can make you feel worse and make it harder for your body to fight the infection.  And, even eating sugar when you are healthy isn’t the greatest idea, as it suppresses your immune system and can make you more likely to get sick if you are exposed.

Lastly, alcohol puts the brakes on your body’s immune system quite literally.  Your body sees alcohol as a toxin (that’s why it affects us in so many ways) and stops all other immune responses, as well as the breakdown and absorption of other foods until it has processed and removed it.  So, keep your drinking to a minimum this fall and if you know you’ve been exposed to an infection, stop altogether until you are 100% sure you are in the clear.  And if you do get sick, as much as a shot of hard liquor might numb your sore throat temporarily, it’s not worth it in the long run since while your body is getting rid of the alcohol, those germs have more time and fuel to proliferate making you worse in the long run.

We all know that we should eat less meat, but sometimes struggle to find vegan recipes that are satisfying, not overly starchy and meet our protein requirements. Here’s a wonderful protein packed, vegan recipe that is perfect for fall. It’s hearty and filling yet light all at the same time. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Large Sweet Potatoes

1 Block Extra Firm Tofu

1 Red Bell Pepper

1/2 cup Grape tomates halved

2 Cups Kale - ribbed and ripped into bite size pieces

2 Tbsp total Coconut Aminos or Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter

2 Tsp Rice Vinegar

4 Cloves minced or 1 Tsp Powdered Garlic

1/2 Tbsp Fresh or 1/2 Tsp Powdered Ginger

1 1/2 Tbsp total Olive or Avocado Oil

Dash Sall & Peppers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 and peel sweet potatoes and chop into large bite size chunks.  Toss in olive oil salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 425.

2. While sweet potatoes are cooking, cut tofu into bite size chunks and toss in a light coating of 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 cloves garlic and olive oil.  Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 425, until edges are slightly golden.

3. Wash and pull leaves of the ribbing of Kale and discard the ribbing.  Tear kale into smaller pieces and massage lightly to soften then dry in a salad spinner or with paper towels. 

4. Cut a red bell pepper into thin slices and then cut slices in half.  Cut grape tomatoes in half

5. Toss peppers, tomateos and kale in a small amount of olive oil.  Spread on lined baking sheet and roast 5 - 10 minutes at 425 until edges are lightly roasted.

6. While last of the vegetables are cooking, make peanut sauce by mixing 2 tbsp peanut butter, 2 tsp rice vinegar, remaining garlic and ginger and soy sauce..  Stir well to combine and loosen peanut butter with water if needed until it reaches a slightly drizzly texture.

7. Combine all ingredients in dinner bowls and serve with a drizzle of peanut sauce.

Summer brings certain changes that make it essential to change up your self care routine. Sure, we all know come May its time to make sure you’re getting regular pedicures or at the very least making sure your feet are well scrubbed and polished yourself so you can wear your cutest sandals with no fear and keep your feet cool, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Below is a list of ideas to help you get through it in the best possible way!

1. Lots of sun, means lots of sunscreen! Put it on before you go outside or leave the house for the day, and reapply every few hours. Better yet, put it on after you towel off in the shower so it glides easily, has time to absorb before you are in the sun’s rays and you don’t miss spots near the edge of your clothing. BUT… make sure to get the sunscreen off of you at the end of the day, especially off of your face. Sunscreen can settle in your pores and cause clogs if it is not removed daily.

2. Lots of sun, and lots of extra drinkable fun, and outdoor activity, mean HYDRATE! Yes, hydrate means getting in at minimum 80 oz of water a day (more if you are partaking in any of those previously mentioned activities), but it also means making sure you are getting enough electolytes so that your body can absorb the water you drink and it gets into your cells. Make sure you have the right balance of potassium and sodium and enough magnesium in your diet. And though Gatorade will work in a pinch, ideally you’ll want to find an electrolyte drink with a lot less sugar and additives. One of my favorites is this one from Isagenix because it not only has those essential electrolytes but it contains hyaluronic acid as well to help you get your summer glow on!

3. Swimming this summer? You can help protect your hair from chlorine, salt water and sun by leaving a bit of conditioner in it when you shower. And, if you are a curly girl, this will also help those locks be frizz free if you rake and shake, scrunch and then don't touch it it’ll dry. Add another light layer of conditioner to dry hair before swimming. Just be sure to give it a few minutes to absorb into pourous strands before hopping in the water so it stays in your hair longer.

4. If you live where it’s humid, add some extra Vitamin B and garlic to your diet. They are both good deterrents for mosquitos. Lavender and eucalyptus essential oils diluted into a carrier oil are also good natural bug repellents. Just avoid using coconut oil and opt for avocado, almond oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, or witch hazel as a carrier for this mixture instead or it might attract those mosquitos more than the lavender repels them!

5. Take advantage of the bounty of fresh fruits and veggies that are available in the summer time! Switch up the apples, pears and other things that are stocked all year long for nectaries, plums, figs, cherries, etc. and the great variety of farm fresh lettuces and greens that are readily available over the summer. Your taste buds willl love the variety and your body will benefit from the different vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients they provide!

How? Here are some ideas to reduce soreness, give you a boost of energy and alleviate tired feet….

1. Start your day with exercise. Even if you don’t have time for a full workout in the am, getting a few minutes of movement in first thing the morning, whether it is stretching, yoga or even a few minutes of core work will get your blood flowing, mind awake and help reduce stiffness as you start your day.

2. Speaking of movement, when you have an afternoon slump around 3 pm, a quick burst of movement, even 5 to 10 minutes can give you the energy you need to power through the end of the workday and into the evening. And, since the days are longer and sunnier now, if you can, combine that movement with some vitamin D and fresh air in the outdoors to boost your serotonin even more! Pop out of the office and take a quick walk around the outside of the building, and take the stairs on the way back up!

3. Remember to hydrate - after that afternoon burst of exercise, and all day long. Dehydration can be a huge contributing factor to fatigue, foggy thinking, sluggish digestion and so much more. So drink up, and remember hydration also means keeping your electrolytes balanced too!

4. One of the easiest ways to add some spring back into your step is to make sure you have good supportive shoes! Did you know that for those who do cardio regularly (at least 2 - 3 times a week) you should be replacing your running/walking shoes at least every 6 months? All those hours on your feet compress the bottoms of your shoes and eventually there’s not much cushion between you and the ground below. A new pair of shoes that fit well, support your arches, and any pronation or supination tendencies you have, can make it feel like you are walking on clouds instead of grinding your joints! Personally, my favorite brand is Brooks, but everyone’s feet are different. Pop into a running store and get fit by a professional for a brand that works for your feet - it's definitely worth it!

Cleansing has been an area of debate for a while in the health industry, but what does cleansing really mean? Is it healthy? And, what are the results you get?

Cleansing can mean a lot of different things: a digestive system cleanse, a detoxing cellular cleanse, a juice cleanse, whole food diet, or in some instances the new hot topic that’s actually been around a long long while - intermittent fasting. In every case though, the idea is you give your body a chance to rest, get rid of what’s been hanging around too long, and reset. It can give you more energy, reduce cravings and in some instances even help get a jump start on weight loss, but not in the way you might think..

Many cleanses involve a high volume of liquids, which help “flush” your system, of extra solids digressively, toxins in the liver, kidneys and fat cells, and additionally cause some temporary water weight loss. Though those water weight loss effects may be temporary, the reset it gives your system can be hugely beneficial! After a cleanse, many people find themselves more clear headed, are more aware of the effects certain foods have on their system and find it easier to make good dietary choices moving forward - helping to keep the pounds off moving forward. Additionally, when toxins are present, our bodies have one more reason to hold on to fat cells; to trap the toxins and keep them from doing harm to our internal systems. So, the removal of toxins can help the body be more prone to release fat easier when we have the right combo of diet and exercise.

If you are a newbie to the cleansing world, start gently. Maybe try a 7 pm to 7 am intermittent fast for a few days with fresh celery juice to start each day a half hour or so before consuming anything else. Celery juice is a wonderful and very gentle detox and is also great at reducing inflammation. You can make your own with a juicer or good blender. If you have a blender, just cover a few stalks of chopped celery with clean water, add a squeeze of lime and after it is fully blended, strain it with a cheese cloth. Remember to hydrate with plenty more water throughout the day (I always recommend at least 80 - 100 oz to help keep hydrated and also get the “flushing benefits.)

Aloe Vera and other juices are also great aids to cleansing, and have the added benefit of supplying you lots of healhty vitamins to boost your energy at the same time. Cold pressed juices are best, but be aware of the amount of sugar in juice. For diabetics and those with digestive issues or trying to curb sugar cravings, a juice cleanse may not be the best option. You can get pre-packaged cleansing systems that are loaded with vitamins and minerals without the sugar content. There are tea cleansing systems on the market as well. My advice is to do your research and find out ALL the potential benefits and drawbacks of a particular system before choosing, and if you have special medical dietary restrictions, always consult with your doctor before starting one.

If you are ready to dive a bit deeper into the cleansing world and want to learn more, please reach out!

The new year is a time that we plan and set new goals for ourselves moving forward.  Some of us more “Type A” personalities even plan out every action step along the way towards reaching those goals.  And, quite honestly, that is the best way to achieve goals - by focusing on the smaller action steps to get there.  BUT - and this is a big but, sustaining those action steps day after day and week after week to reach our goals can be difficult without replenishing our energy stores - something that many of us overlook!

As a person with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a chronic condition, I’ve had to learn that in order to succeed I need to pace myself.  If I push myself too hard, I hit a wall and ultimately break down, injure myself, get sick, or give in and accept failure before I get where I want to be.  But, if I recharge regularly, I can keep going and going just like that energizer bunny!  The same is true for every one of us.  My body just makes me more acutely aware when it is past time to recharge.  Your’s might give you more subtle signs.  What I’ve found though, is that by scheduling that self-care time before I hit that wall, actually putting it on my calendar and building into my day, I can avoid those dips in energy, and other more devastating setbacks and continue on, and on, and on at a steady pace.

There are certain things I do to recharge daily, others weekly, and still others that I can afford to push out to once a month.  Here are some ways I schedule in self care - I hope you can adapt and adopt some them for your needs too!

• I take time each morning to plan my top 3 priorities.  Things that I will know when they are done, I will feel accomplished even if nothing else goes according to plan the rest of the day.

• I also take a few minutes each morning to activate my core so I have my best chance to move in the right ways throughout the rest of the day and not tweak anything.

• I recharge with a healthy afternoon snack and drink around 3 pm so I don’t drop in energy levels or get hangry before dinner.

• I take just a little time to myself in the evening before bed to reflect, focus on the things I am grateful for that happened that day, reset and settle my mind before sleeping.

• I plan recovery days into my workout routine each week where I stretch, foam roll, align my posture and give my muscles a chance to rebuild.

• I take at least an hour each week, many times more, to plan out my week because knowing my schedule helps me to be way less stressed.

• I schedule at least one if not two or three self-care visits each month, whether it is massage, chiropractic, hair appointment, teeth cleaning, checkup etc.