Part of my recovery is all about core strength. To be able to hold good posture, and give my pelvis and back the support it needs after sitting for so many hours writing and working. Real Simple provides awesome easy work-outs that are easy to follow and very beneficial when you only have a few minutes in your day to add some core strengthening and ab-work into your routine.
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When you’re busy its hard enough to get in a workout, let along a warm-up, a cool down AND the workout. I know it is for me. I am learning to take more time for fitness though. It's my weakness. Feed me gluten-free, dairy-free vegetable deliciousness all day long but ask me to go running after I've put in 6 hours at the magazine? Um, no. It's time for a Friends marathon and a nap. I'm sorry, that's not very inspiring. And its kind of off topic. But somedays, its the truth. The topic at hand though is the cool-down. Turns out, its quite important. The cool down, defined as the continuation of exercise at a lower intensity after a workout — is a must for a few reasons according to sports physiologist Ross Tucker, PhD. Without a proper cool down, runners can experience nausea and dizziness due to blood pooling in their muscles and not circulating back to their heart. A warm-up routine is just as important to your workout regiment as well as it improves overall performance, lessens next-day soreness and reduces the chance for injury. Cooling down can also help prevent dizziness and fainting after a hard workout. Some ways to cool down: 15 Minute Stretch Session on the mat following your weight training. 15 Minute walk after finishing a run or bike ride Light yoga or meditation after finishing a power yoga class What are your favorite ways to warm-up or cool-down during your time to work-out? Thinking a lot about of the power of our choices today. As the day is set out before me, I know my Father goes before me and that He knows what my day will be, but I do not. I am there, taking it on moment by moment, trusting his guidance and trying to make the best choices I can make.
I've been in a major transition period for, whats felt like a year or so now, but mostly recently, in the past month or two I've been faced with a lot of proverbial forks on my personal road. I am working through career choices and what it is I want for me, and I think where I'm tripping up is getting lost between the "here and now" and the "big picture". When thinking it through and trying to land on a definitive answer, some choices lead to me thinking that what I feel may serve me most "right now". Helping me to heal and open up more time, possibilities and joy. While on the other hand, some choices lead to what could ultimate bring me more success in future, or what we see as "the big picture". I suppose its about priorities. Security. Joy. Contentment. Time. Wealth. God. Relationships. Creativity. Career. Passion. Adventure. Responsibility. I know God is first. Beyond that, I'm stumbling. Like a runner, I swiftly move through my days, taking it turn by turn, and then a hurdle presents itself and sometimes I take it on like a champion, clearing it with vast space, other times I trip up. Falling to my face and pulling myself back up. At that moment, the choice presents itself, walk off the track, or stretch out and get a running start to be at the right pace to take on the next hurdle. I can tell you with complete honesty, that I've done both. Luckily, with my support system, the times I have walked off the track I only sat on the bench long enough to catch my breath, grab a water and get right back to it. I'm an avid list maker. I make to-do lists, grocery lists, goal lists. What do you do when you've made a Pros and Cons list, and the lists even out. A balance of good and bad. You're back to where you started arn't you? The paper mocking me, that its just as cluttered as my mind when it comes to the topic at hand. "Can't make a decision about this?" it says. "Well, I'm sorry I'm of no help, because neither can I." That bastard piece of paper. Excuse my french. Sometimes a Pros and Cons list isn't the answer. The answers, I know, lie in prayer. Sometimes He answers when we want Him to. Or so we think. He answers in His perfect timing, always. And sometimes that feels like its when we wanted it to come. Other times we just need to breathe and be patient. Because we need to remember that its enough that we are doing just that. Breathing. And waiting on Him. It means we are alive. To breathe. To wait. To practice patience. To grow in this process. I'm learning a lot more now as an adult, than I did in all my twenties growing up in my world of instant-gratification. Instant gratification brought me instant satisfaction. Not eternal satisfaction. And I'm learning that now. So I will continue to pray, to close my eyes, and let Him take my hand down the path I am supposed to take on this adventure. And if I have to sit here for a while, well, its more time to inspire more blogs, more songs, more stories that I don't yet know the purpose for yet. But He does. And I'm learning that's enough and that's what defines contentment in the now. As we head into the warmer months, runners will be wanting to head indoors. Our gym has an awesome indoor track that I love to use year round, especially in Arizona when temperatures can creep up to 120 degrees. Not so conducive to running outside. Here is a great one-hour treadmill workout to take with you when you go to the gym. Keep the incline at 1% throughout this workout, and if the pace seems too fast for you, you can alter it to your comfort level. 0:00-10:00 minutes: Warm-up jog at 5 MPH
10:00-10:20 minutes: Sprint at 7.5 MPH 10:20-11:20 minutes: Jog at 5 MPH 11:20-14:00 minutes: Repeat Minutes 10:00-11:20, twice 14:00-17:00 minutes: Jog at 5 MPH 17:00-27:00 minutes: Run at 6.5 MPH 27:00-31:00 minutes: Jog at 5 MPH 31:00-35:00 minutes: Run at 6.5 MPH 35:00-39:00 minutes: Jog at 5 MPH 39:00-55:00 minutes: Repeat Minutes 31:00-39:00 Twice 55:00-60:00 minutes: Gradually slow, to a cool down walk/jog It's really hard for me to get motivated to go to the gym. Not working out in general. Working out, I am ok with. Pilates at home, dance class, running out in the fresh air. I can do that. But when it comes to hitting the gym and putting in a solid hour, or lifting weights, ugh, I need a motivator. A partner in crime if you will. I have ventured to the gym with many different types of people. Friends, family, Mr. Charming... and I noticed that if you decide to make a commitment to go to the gym with someone who is the complete opposite of yourself, you will find it harder to stay committed. So, I have compiled a list of 5 qualities of what to look for in the optimal gym partner. PS. Photo cred to the above photo goes to Mr. Charming and that adorable girl with me is my niece and back-up singer. She also just happens to gravitate towards my workout style, hence the chosen photo. Tip Number 1 - Find someone that compliments your workout style I've noticed that when someones workout regiment or overall goals are way off from mine, we tend to not be compatible for regular workouts. I notice this most with my husband, or with male roommates I had in San Diego. When their ultimate goal is weight training, and I need motivation to run or stay on an elliptical when I just want to make a smoothie and blog, I don't stick to staying in the gym as long as I should. When you workout out regularly with someone who likes a similar workout, it not only allows you to keep each other accountable, you also have someone to talk to. Tip Number 2 - A little healthy competition is good One thing that I always loved about working out with my sister, we used to be huge gym rats together before I started touring and still lived at home. It was fun to compete with the timing and intensity of our workouts. We wouldn't so much compete with one another, it was more competing with our past time or past workout level. It always made it fun too, that after we put in a solid hour or two, to be able to talk over smoothies. Tip Number 3 - Find someone with a compatible schedule This is a big one. You want someone who will push you to go workout when you want to catch up with DVR on the couch, and vice versa. It's fun to motivate someone to get healthy and workout with you, but this won't work if you have opposite work schedules or social conflicts. If there isn't consistency you won't make it a habit, which means you'd be better off working out on your own, thus losing your cheerleader in the process. Tip Number 4 - Don't forget about your internal clock This is another reason why Mr. Charming and I fall out of our healthy habits when we try to buddy up at the gym. Personally, my energy is higher in the morning and early afternoon. I also love a good jog before dinner. It's my peak times where I feel like my body performs the best. Mr. Charming on the other hand is a very early riser and will hit our home gym around 6:30am or will hit the fitness center at night. He prefers later workouts, after dinner. With me, once I've had dinner I want to meditate, write and get ready for bed. Remember to inquire about favored workout times when choosing your workout buddy. Tip Number 5 - Positivity and motivation are key I believe its toxic to keep negative people too close in many areas of your life, however, when it comes to your workout bff you definitely don't want a "glass half empty" personality beside you. Getting into a new workout habit can be challenging, even for the most optimistic person, so you'll want to find someone who can help encourage you and find the good on a day when you're both tired, sore, and just want chocolate. Welcome to Fitness Fridays! I am so excited to start incorporating more healthy ways to exercise, stretch, play and ultimately take care of our bodies. Today I wanted to start with a post about my current play list. Music is HUGE in my life. Not only am I a musician myself, music plays a huge role in all that I do. Sometimes I seriously feel like I'm living a movie that has amazing musical accompaniment to each scene of my life. I know, weird, but us artsy folks, it's what we do. When I cook I adore Sinatra or anything from the 40's-60's, when I relax after a long day, writing, meditating, or soaking in the tub I need jazz. And when I work out, I need uber-happy, uptempo pop, christian or hip hop to keep me motivated. My lists also change periodically, but right now my current playlist is as follows...
What's on your workout playlist? I'd love feedback! Also, If you subscribe to the Nosh & Nurture newsletter in the month of April you get a free copy of my new single "Lights". You can do so on the contact page by clicking here. I've recently been reading a great book about the importance of play in our lives. So many of us spend so much of our time working. Working at our day jobs, working towards our dream jobs, working in school, working around the house, working on raising kids... how often do we just simply play? I realized recently that I hadn't been doing this at all. When I am career focused, which I have been since I was 16 years old, I rarely take too much time to play. But recently I had been burning the proverbial candle at both ends from morning until I passed out exhausted at night, and knew I couldn't go at that pace much longer, so I simply stopped and stared infusing my days with play. I wanted to create a fun list of ways, as an adult, you can play and get in touch with your inner child. He or She is still there, you just have to put down the phone, tablet and computer to meet him or her where he or she is and have a good time simply "being". Read on for my list of ideas and feel free to comment with how to infuse "play" into your day! Visit The Local Park: Tossing around a ball in fresh air and sunshine, putting down a picnic blanket and munching on healthy goodies, all while tiring yourself out with good old fashion kickball, four-square (remember that game?), or basketball is a great way to spend an afternoon. Play In A Toy Store: When was the last time you visited F.A.O or Toys R' Us, not to buy a gift for a kid, but to PLAY with the toys and test them out like you did when you were younger? It's an awesome way to spend a summer afternoon. And if you illicit any weird looks, you can still say you are there shopping for a kid. Or invite them to play, if they are being that judgmental of you they probably need to play more than you do. An Afternoon of Game Play: Having friends over for a board game night and baking brownies or cookies is simply bliss. For the boys, having the guys over for retro video games is always a winner, or maybe a hot wheels race, or building a model plane. Build A Fort: Pretty self explanatory. Putting up chairs and blankets and climbing inside with a movie, board games, a good book or magazines is a perfect way to laze away an afternoon or evening. Bonus points if you do it in jammies or make signs for your fort. Color Outside The Lines: Or, if you were a perfectionist child, then you can stay inside the lines. The point is to get out the crayons, the sketchpad, the color books, the paint and canvas... any artistic medium of your choice and make a masterpiece. Or create something only your mom would post on the fridge. The point is just to create something, no judgments allowed. Marco: Polo! Dig deep into your memory, or utilize Google, and find childhood games that you played. Hop in the pool with friends for a good game of Marco Polo, or play hide n' seek in your neighborhood. Ring toss, horseshoes, and tag are great options for the park. You can also count these as exercise too. Score! Host A Slumber Party: Recently, my girlfriends and I had a slumber party. We played games, had dinner and stayed up late laughing. It was so fun! Prank call the boys, watch your favorite childhood movies and bake a gluten-free, dairy-free pizza to make it feel like a real Saturday night slumber party from elementary school without all the calories and toxic ingredients. Dear Penpal: When was the last time you wrote a letter? Being a writer I do do this often. It's fun to find pretty stationary and pick a friend to write a letter too, just because. Add a child-like kick with glitter stickers or scented markers to address the envelope. Play Dress-Up: When was the last time you went to the mall and tried on outrageous clothes, just for fun? My sister and I use to do this as teenagers for no other reason than to take photos and laugh. Trying on my moms clothes growing up was a thrill. Go through your closet and mix and match your clothes in new ways. Do your hair and make-up just because. I promise it feels exhilarating. Play With The Kiddos: Playing with kids, like I did with my niece at her party, makes it easy to tap into your own inner child. I let her plan the day and had many adventures being "driven around the park", "visiting a princess castle", playing kickball and meeting her new birthday bunny. And it was one of the best days I've had in a while. So today was quite a day. I spent 12 hours today blissfully writing, not taking the time to break away for a walk or yoga like I should have. My poor neck, shoulder and psoas muscles gradually became more and more irritated with my focus today.
Mr. Charming has started a new job, and we are so blessed for that, but it's definitely a challenge for him. He works in the medical field doing all kinds of important, smarty stuff so when he had to put in 13 hours today I didn't expect us to do much more than lay around when he got home. The other day, as I've been having some stress related issues lately, he did yoga with me. It was so nice to have a yoga buddy! Tonight he asked if we could could do a session together again and I was beyond elated. Bonding time with my husband and yoga for my sore little muscles? I was a happy woman. And I wanted to share with you all what I learned in yoga tonight. Things I learned in yoga tonight:
A guest post by Kaity
Glad to see that you came back for more! My goal for this article is to share my personal journey with TCM, but also not to overwhelm you with extreme details. *Spare me the details if you don’t mind* Had I written my testimonial fully, I believe it would be a very dull, depressing novel. On the other hand, the sharing of personal success stories allows the receiver to gain varied personal perspectives and health backgrounds, but also to gain curiosity or confidence in the product or practice through relating with others. I’ve crossed my fingers in hopes of balance! My journey began in the pit of despair… In August of 2010 I became very ill; depressed, lethargic, irritable, almost a hollow feeling. At first I thought it was the stomach flu because of the bodily symptoms I was experiencing, and I couldn’t eat or drink anything. All I wanted was to sleep. I felt lifeless, like what I imagine a person on their death bed would feel like. At the time I was only using homeopathy, but I couldn’t bring myself to see my doctor. I just felt like it wasn’t going to solve my problem. After about three weeks (I don’t know how I made it that long), and trying a lot of random self-remedy things, my mom came to the rescue and suggested I look into TCM, which she had just stumbled upon. (Gosh- thank goodness for moms!) At this point I was willing to try ANYTHING. The stomach flu doesn’t last for THREE WEEKS. I knew there was something wrong. The practitioner we decided to go with is based out of Seattle, Washington: David Akrish of Heaven and Earth Chinese Herbs. But wait, I live thousands of miles away, and I can’t just up & fly there like a celebrity up & fly’s across the world. Not to worry- A picture [of your tongue] speaks a thousand words… plus the thousand or so words you will have to write on the consultation form. Apparently the tongue indicates the level of your body’s own immunity and functioning. In a very transcendent way, David is able to diagnose exactly what is going on within your body without even meeting you. I know it sounds crazy, but TCM is magical in that way. So, after the intense consultation that covered pretty much the span of my life history (must be thorough!), and a few hours on the phone, David reported that my body was shutting down. Talk about WHOA. I never thought I would hear that in my life, let alone at age 19. I thought I was in good health, that I was taking care of myself. Guess not. Like the straw that broke that camel’s back, you can only pile so much on until the camel’s back gives out, or rather my body called it quits. Basically, after a long life of unbalance and deficiency, my internal systems could not function any longer and began shutting down. My whole diagnosis is much, much more in-depth, including deficiency & excess, liver and kidney problems, and digestive weakness. But David also covered things that reflected in other areas of my health, for instance my emotions and tendencies, which are affected greatly by our physical state of health. Because of the ill state of health I was in, we had to start from the ground up and rebuild my body. David referred to me as an onion, because there were so many different things going on internally that they can sometimes mask each other. Once one aspect of imbalance was treated, another one surfaced; and so we had to work through the layers of the onion in order to restore balance and wellness. My rebuild regimen mainly focused on diet- because we are what we eat- but also relied upon David’s raw herbal formulas, which you make into tea that tastes like earth. I basically went cold turkey on life as I knew it; I had to stop eating all of the things I loved until my body healed. The one thing I missed the most was PB&J sandwiches and chocolate. Yes it was difficult, but after just three months on the program I already felt better than I had in a long time. Within a year, I felt like a whole new person; no joke. I know that seems like a long time, but keep in mind we are working towards reversing all disharmonies- not an easy task. The process it took to overcome my profound state of ill-health was by far one of the most challenging and intense tasks I have ever been faced with. I know that sounds scary, maybe even a turn-off or discouraging, but sometimes we just have to do things because it’s a matter of life and death, or happiness and misery. Honestly, I’m not sure I would still be alive today had I not gone through with it. I may not have died, but what life is worth living if you’re in & out of the hospital and stuck on toxic pharmaceutical medication the rest of your being? To me, that is the difference between being alive and just living. |
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