Core Power Health & Fitness - Blog

Better Balance Series Step 1: Check Your Base Of Support

Fri, 29 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT

We celebrated Rennie’s 1st birthday this month. Check out his BDAY dance moves for his first cookie cake.

Even though he's only a year old, he’s learning how important it is to stay active & agile as you age especially if you want to “reach & eat” those yummy treats.

He also finds Balance Work as FUN as his mama does.

We’ve got 4 Steps To Better Balance to share with you over the next few weeks.

First step- Check your Base of Support by starting at your feet.

We talk a lot about how to have a strong inner core but did you know you’ve also got a foot core?

We’ve got 4 layers of muscles in feet- i.e. the intrinsic muscles. 4 layers!!! Doesn’t seem like there is enough room, does it?

Most of the time you only hear about the plantar fascia (connective tissue) as it gets all the attention when it’s flared up (i.e. plantar fasciitis).

They may not be as vocal when you’ve got a foot injury, but the foot intrinsic muscles are important too. They make up your foot core and help provide stability of the arch and control toe movements. They play a huge role in functional movements and by helping with your balance and posture.

It's very easy for them to be weak or even turned off due to tight spots in your calf and foot fascia. They LOVE to be lazy when you’re wearing cushy shoes (all that cushion in our shoes helps with impact on our joints but encourages our foot core to not work very hard).

Let’s see if your feet are awake or asleep.

Rennie’s Strong Foot Moves:

>>Do a Foot Core Checkup >> Give your Foot Core some LOVE >> Do a Recheck >> Bonus Moves

1. DO A FOOT CORE CHECKUP.

You probably know if you have a high arch, low arch or no arch but let’s see how your foot core muscles are doing. This might be easiest to do in front of a mirror where you can see your foot vs trying to look down at your foot. Or you could video and look at it after you do the moves.

Stand on one leg. Hold onto a counter, wall or chair if needed to but with as little support as possible. Don’t lock out your knee- keep a soft knee.

What do you see going on in the foot you’re standing on?

Is there any flickering going on in the top of your foot tendons or any movement side to side from trying to keep from falling over?

Or is your foot like a flat pancake on the floor with no arch? Or maybe it’s like a dead fish- limp, no life?

Are your toes holding on for dear life to the floor, so you don’t fall over?

How does it feel?

Does it hurt to stand on one foot?

Are you wondering where the floor is?

Is it hard to balance? Are your hips working hard moving side to side to keep you upright?

No judgment just look and feel what’s going on or not going on.

What happens if you bend your knee slightly? Any changes?

Now check out the other foot. Go through same questions and then compare to other foot.

Flat arches, no signs of muscle activity on top of your foot, difficulty balancing and/or your toes flexed and trying to grip on the floor are signs your foot core muscles need some attention.

One foot core may be having more issues than the other one. It'll depend on which hand you are dominant and what kind of activities you do each day. Also if you've had any injuries on one side. It doesn't matter, both sides probably need attention.

2. GIVE YOUR FOOT CORE SOME LOVE.

Massage your foot core:

Self-Massage on the bottom of your feet with your hands or massage tools will help release trigger points (tender spots). Keep it simple and use a tennis ball, racket ball or even dog toy if you don’t want to buy a massage tool. Roll back and forth from the ball of your foot to the heel or find tender spots to hold pressure on for a few breaths then move to another tender spot.

You can do foot massage in sitting or standing. Sitting is less intense than standing. Massage the bottom of your foot as described to get to the foot core muscles. You can gently massage the top of your foot with your hands but the top (dorsum) of your foot is more sensitive and more bony.

If your foot is flared up, you can do ice massage by rolling back and forth on the bottom of your with a frozen water bottle for several minutes.

An added bonus to massaging your feet is that the bottom of your foot has acupressure spots for every organ in your body. When you massage your foot, you’re sending calming signals to your whole body.

Stretch your foot core:

Stretching the tight spots in your toes, ankles, and calves in sitting or standing can help your foot core turn on.

Toe stretches: bend/flex or straighten/extend them using the floor. Intensify the stretch by lifting your heel off the floor. Standing is more intense also. If it’s too intense, just use your hand to stretch your toes. Don’t overdo it. Be gentle but add as much weight as you need to feel a stretch.

Strengthen your foot core:

Full body and barefoot workouts like Yoga or Pilates will help strengthen your foot core.

Form Check In’s: being mindful of having good form or balanced feet during standing activities and workouts will help your foot core muscles turn on. Imagine a triangle on the bottom of your foot- place equal weight on ball of 1st toe and 5th toe and center of the heel. Pay attention and check in regularly to your foot position anytime they have contact with the floor.

Toe lifts: In sitting, you can try to pick up with objects with your toes or keep foot on floor and try to scrunch a towel with your toes.

Arch lifts: Put your foot on floor with toes straight and spread as much as you can. Imagine a string attached to the middle of your foot as you try to lift your arch off the floor while your toes stay in contact with the floor. If that doesn’t make sense to you, place your hand on the table. Lift your palm off the table while your fingertips stay in contact with the table. Try the same move with your foot. Lift your arch off the floor while you keep your toes in contact with the floor. You should feel a tightness or almost cramping in the arch if your foot muscles are working. Hold a few seconds. Repeat the move a few times.

Challenge your foot core:

Pilates Reformer work, unstable surfaces (like Bosu ball or foam surfaces) and doing band work resistance exercises barefoot are some of my favorite ways to challenge the foot core.

Support your foot core:

Good arch support will help keep your foot in good alignment which helps your foot core turn on properly. You might need some extra arch support if you have very flat feet or high arches, stand a lot each day, or do an impact sport like running. It could be a simple over the counter foam insert to a custom orthotic.

Typically, the liner that comes in your shoe is crap. You’re not looking for a huge build up under the arch. Just a little arch support so it’s not completely collapsed, and you aren’t getting pain in your feet or knees with activities.

You can learn from a health professional how to use kinesiotape to calm down foot pain if you get flare ups and support your arch but it’s important to also strengthen your foot core to help avoid foot injuries.

3. DO A RECHECK.

If you try any of the above foot care tips, recheck to see how your foot core is doing. Stand again on one leg and see what’s going on down there.

Do you see more activity on the top of your foot, have better balance and/or a little bit of arch activity where there is some space between your foot and the floor?

How does it feel? Hopefully you’ll feel more contact with the floor and more grounded or stable overall.

4. BONUS FOOT MOVES:

Care For Your Toe Nails. Regular pedicures can improve foot alignment by keeping toe nails trimmed, skin healthy and prevent infection. Toe nail changes can be early warning signs of poor circulation or other diseases.

Pain from uncut nails, calluses or corns can cause you to change your gait pattern which may lead to hip or back pain and even falls. It’s also one reason why it’s important to keep your dogs nails trimmed so they don’t have pain or gait issues.

An added bonus is that a relaxing pedicure helps turn on your Relaxed Body and relieves stress.

Core Bridges: Do bridges barefoot to help turn on your Foot Core (& Hips). Basic position- lie on your back, arms at your side. Lift hips to ceiling. Hold 5-10 seconds. Lower hips. Repeat 8-10 reps.

Start with legs together progress to legs hip width apart then to holding the bridge while you alternate bringing one foot off the floor (marching). Keep hips stable/steady, belly engaged, and shoulders relaxed while bridging.

OVER TO YOU

Be honest, are your feet feeling neglected?

Even though your feet are at the end of the line, they’re the first body part in contact with the ground which then causes a chain reaction up the leg and into your trunk muscles.

They need as much love as the rest of your body.

A few MINI Moves for the Foot Core make a big difference in your posture and balance.

Give your foot core some love each day & tune in for Step 2 to help you have Better Balance.

P.S. Want more massage tools & stretch routines to support and challenge your foot core (and inner core)? We’ll show you how in HIP Camp™.

How To Do A Hydration Check Up

Wed, 13 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT

It’s the first thing my acupuncturist asks me when I complain of low energy.

Am I dehydrated?

Not only can dehydration cause fatigue, it can cause stronger cortisol (stress hormone) spikes when stressed as well as dizziness, headaches, dark circles, dry skin, and/or heart palpitations.

One study with young women showed that just 1.36% dehydration impacted their concentration, vigor, mood, fatigue, anger, and increase task difficulty perception and headaches.

Good thing everyone’s carrying around their Water Bottles these days!

When you’re dealing with low energy, make sure you do a HYDRATION CHECK UP to rule out dehydration.

HYDRATION CHECK UP

When?

Best time of day is in the morning.

How?

Check your urine color.

Is your urine light in color?

Your urine should be pale yellow or light in color (think lemonade) in the morning and pre and post workout if you’re getting enough fluids.

Are you drinking at least ½ your body weight in ounces of water/non-caffeinated beverages each day?

Making sure you’re well hydrated is second in line to sleep for helping your body feel, move, and perform at its best.

Not a water lover?

You can drink herbal tea, sparkling water, or add lemon and stevia to your water.

Eating a diet rich in fruit and veggies can help with hydration also.

HOW TO AVOID DEHYDRATION

You’ll need extra fluids for exercise or when living in hot climates.

Rehydrate during workouts, typically 1 cup water every 15 minutes of exercise and/or as thirsty.

After exercise, drink 2-3 cups per pound lost during exercise. Replace electrolytes if exercise was longer than an hour or if you sweat a lot during exercise.

You may need more fluids if you:

Travel especially in planes
Go heavy on caffeinated beverages
Intermittent Fast
Take Creatine
Have heavy periods
Have night sweats

Post Menopausal women can be higher risk for dehydration due to hormone changes affecting fluid balance, hot flashes & night sweats, and even diminished thirst sensation as you age.

You can lose electrolytes through night sweats. Electrolyte water or tablets can be helpful. Replenish sodium and minerals if you sweat a lot.

My dentist recommends electrolyte water for dry mouth which is also common after menopause.

I've found it helpful.

Hungry?

Sometimes hunger is actually a signal you're dehydrated.

Got tight muscles?

Healthy tissue isn’t stiff It’s elastic. Bungee cord like versus rope like.

Staying well hydrated is key to increasing the elasticity of your tissue and critical for nourishing all your cells.

Make sure to drink up after any Fascia Bodywork- massage, stretching, even acupuncture- to help flush toxins.

PACE YOURSELF

Too much water, too fast can be dangerous and lead to Water Toxicity or Hyponatremia. A serious condition where you have diluted sodium levels in the blood. The most severe cases can lead to seizures, coma, and death.

Listen to your body.

Drink when thirsty.

Sip water throughout the day.

Check your urine color.

Dark = you need more hydration. Clear or frequent might mean you're overdoing it.

If you have heart or kidney disease, follow what your specialist recommends for your water intake each day.

OVER TO YOU

Start your day with 8 ounces of water to replenish your body after a full night’s sleep.

Figure out your daily water goal.

Track your intake with an App or water bottle if you need some support or reminders.

Increase your hydration if you meet any of the criteria shared above.

Sip away each day to keep your energy, mood, & performance levels up.

Your brain & body will thank you!

P.S. Ready to improve your Elasticity AND Energy? Join us for Mini Massage Camp!

Core Challenge: Power Moves For Better Posture

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMT

It's time to challenge your CORE muscles so you can have better posture, power, and overall performance.

Hopefully you've been using the CORE FLOW MOVES to wake/warm up your core muscles at the start of your day or before workouts.

Here's a sequence that'll help you keep building a strong core.

GETTING STARTED:

During the exercises:

Breathing pattern- Inhale to Prepare & Relax the Pelvic Floor. Exhale & Engage your PF & Core (Scoop your Belly muscles up, in and back) as you do the movement. Repeat.
Form- keep a neutral spine- a slight curve in your low back (not too rounded or arched) during the entire exercise. Head in line with spine. Think arm pits to hips.
Reps- It's not about a ton of reps. It's about quality of movement with good form and control.
Modify- if you're new to these moves or you can't keep good form or find yourself holding your breath, modify as described below.
Goal- Aim to work through this sequence 2-3 times per week. Do 1-3 rounds of the full sequence.

6 CORE POWER MOVES

Work through these 6 CORE POWER MOVES in the following sequence:

1. Planks- Hands shoulder width apart and feet hip width apart. Press your hands down into the floor, slide your shoulders down toward your hips, scoop your belly and tuck your booty. Gaze at the floor slightly in front of your hands. Modify if needed on elbows and knees. Progress to straight arms and legs. Hold 30-90 seconds.

2. Push Ups- Drop knees to floor and hands slightly wider than shoulders and closer to chest level than the plank position. Scoop your belly and lower your chest toward the floor. Press back up into starting position. Modify if needed with hands on incline (like edge of sofa, bench or counter). Progress to the floor with knees bent then with knees off the floor. Repeat: 10-20 reps.

3. Bird Dog- Reach opposite arm & leg (right arm and left leg) while keeping your spine and hips steady. You can slide or reach your hand and opposite foot on the floor vs off the floor to modify the pose. You can also just reach your arm or leg to modify then progress to both at same time. Do 5-10 reps or hold for a few breaths on each side. Slowing it down and holding is more challenging to stabilize than lots of reps. Progress to making small (orange size) circles with hand and foot each direction while reaching & keeping spine and hips steady.

4. Dead Bug Leg Lowers- Lie on your back. Knees bent. Engage your belly muscles and lift legs to table top position. Arms reaching to ceiling. Slowly lower one foot to the floor as you reach the opposite arm overhead. Switch sides. Inhale to prepare to move. Exhale and move/lower/reach leg and arm. Modify - do one leg or arm at a time. Progress to lowering a straight leg. Only go as far as you can without losing neutral spine position. If you pooch your belly, you are going to low or fast. Slow down and do small controlled movements. Do 5-10 reps each side.

5. Side Plank- Line up head, shoulder, hips, feet on one side. Place your forearm on the floor and lift hips toward the ceiling. Modify- legs bent. Progress- legs and/or bottom arm straight. Hold 10-30 seconds. Switch sides.

6. Downward Dog- Move into position from a plank position- press chest toward your thighs and imagine your inner thighs connecting as you reach long through your head and heels thru the floor. Hold 10-20 seconds.

>>Reminders:

Always modify if you've had a back or neck injury or are postpartum. Consult with your health care provider if you need more help with modifications. You shouldn't begin these exercise if you're pregnant and new to them or have a recent injury.
If you've had injuries or weak pelvic floor muscles, work through the CORE PREP MOVES before you add these Core Power Moves.
Stop if you feel pain especially in your wrist, neck, or back when doing these exercises. You can get sore from them but sharp pain is not OK. If you have pain, modify and look at your form in a mirror or take a video of yourself. If that helps, keep going. If it doesn't, STOP.

OVER TO YOU

Add these 6 CORE POWER MOVES to your workout line up each week.

They'll help challenge your core and stabilizer muscles to decrease your risk for injury, promote good posture, and improve coordination & power during functional activities especially sports.

Listen to your body. It'll tell you what it needs to feel, move, perform better.

P.S. Want more support with building a Strong, Balanced Core? Check out Hip Camp:

Prep Moves For A Strong Inner Core

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

How's it going using the CORE FLOW MOVES to start your day or prep for workouts?

It's been about 2 weeks so you should be feeling more connected throughout your core if you've been doing them at least 3 times a week.

Your core muscles like and need regular reminders to turn on.

They can struggle if you've had any previous injuries to the area.

Pain or tightness in your shoulders, spine, and/or hips can make it harder on your core muscles as well.

If you find yourself holding your breath or you feel tension or clenching in your neck or glut muscles when you do core exercises, then you'll want to prep before your core workouts.

Start with a Pelvic Floor Check In.

Remember your Pelvic Floor Muscles (PF) are the base and foundation of your Core.

When strong and healthy, they coordinate with the diaphragm and abdominals as you inhale and exhale during physical activity to support and stabilize the spine.

If you've got PF weakness, it might show up as

leaking urine during activity (stress incontinence)
pain in your back or pelvis
tightness in your shoulders
poor posture

You may not have issues with a cough or sneeze (forced exhalation) but leak after running 20 minutes (dysfunctional breathing or endurance issue).

If you're having signs of PF weakness, it's time to do some Pelvic Floor Prep Work.

These FIT Blogs will walk you through it:

PELVIC FLOOR STRETCH MOVES

PELVIC FLOOR STRENGTH MOVES

If you're pain-free, you can jump ahead to this FIT Blog for some core prep tips.

PREP FOR CORE WORKOUTS

OVER TO YOU

Work through these PF and CORE PREP MOVES to address any weakness in your fascia and to strengthen your postural (stabilizer) muscles.

A strong core helps decrease your risk for injury, promotes good posture, and improves coordination & power during activities especially sports.

Next up, I'll share some CORE POWER MOVES to challenge your core.

In the meantime, keep going with the CORE PREP & FLOW MOVES.

You'll feel and move better if you do them regularly.

P.S. More Rest & Recovery Resources:

Want a 10 minute daily massage & stretch routine to help you have less pain, more energy & to get into flow each day? Check out MINI Massage Camp here.

Want more REST strategies to slow down? Grab your FREE Relaxed Body Toolkit & Daily Energy Planner here.

How To Wake Up Your Core Muscles

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:00:00 GMT

It's time to give your CORE muscles some love and attention.

Your CORE muscles are a complex series of muscles from arm pits to hips that help keep the spine aligned during movement.

They're involved in almost every movement you make. You need them for all your daily activities and definitely for sports.

They protect, support, and stabilize your spine helping you have better posture, power, and overall performance.

Your core muscles need to be turned on and challenged regularly so the body doesn't start to compensate with other muscle groups.

Here's a sequence that'll help you do that.

FOCUS ON FORM

During all movements, you want to:

Engage your lower abdominals: pull your belly muscles up, in and back. Think pubic bone to your lower back (where your belt would sit in the middle of your low back). It’s a diagonal pull up, in and back that you are aiming for.
Keep a neutral spine: a slight curve in your low back not too rounded or arched during the entire exercise.
Head in line with spine, chest lifted and shoulder blades pulled down and in toward your back pockets (think arm pits to hips) and lower ribs pulled in.
Breathe: don’t hold your breath during the exercises. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

>>There should be no pain especially in your wrist, neck, back and knees when doing these exercises properly. STOP if you feel pain. You can get sore from them but sharp pain is never OK. If you have pain, modify and look at your form. If that helps, keep going. If it doesn't, STOP.

CORE MOVES:

1. TWIST & GLUT STRETCH- do on each side; if you need instructions on how to do them - go here. Hold for a few breaths each side.

2. BRIDGE- lift hips up and down while lifting your belly up and in. Keep hips level and neck/shoulders relaxed. Have equal weight on front and back of your feet. Modify- legs together or with a ball between knees Do 8-10 reps.

3. PLANK- Hands shoulder width apart and feet hip width apart. Press your hands down into the floor, slide your shoulders down toward your hips, scoop your belly and tuck your booty. Gaze at the floor slightly in front of your hands. Modify if needed on elbows and knees. Progress to straight arms and legs. Hold 20-60 seconds.

4. DOWNWARD DOG- Move into position from the plank- press chest toward your thighs and imagine your inner thighs connecting as you reach long through your head and heels thru the floor. Hold 10-20 seconds.

5. PLANK- move back into a plank position. Hold 20-60 seconds. Repeat Plank into Downward Dog into Plank at least 3 times

6. PIGEON STRETCH- when ready- end with a pigeon stretch on each leg.

OVER TO YOU

You can use these CORE FLOW MOVES to wake/warm up your core muscles at the start of your day or before workouts for better posture, power, and overall performance.

If you've had a back injury or have really tight hips, slow down and spend more time on the Twist and Glut Stretches. Start and end on your tight side (i.e. tightest side gets 2 stretches for every 1 stretch on the other side).

You may also want to use the trigger point massage ball in your glut before you begin the Core Flow Moves.

Listen to your BODY.

It'll tell you what it needs to feel, move, & perform better.

P.S. More Rest & Recovery Resources:

Want a 10 minute daily massage & stretch routine to help you have less pain, more energy & to get into flow each day? Check out MINI Massage Camp here.

Want more REST strategies to slow down? Grab your FREE Relaxed Body Toolkit & Daily Energy Planner here.

3 Ball Stretch Moves For Better Posture

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Spring is a great time to do a check in on how “aligned” you're feeling in different areas of your life.

What's blooming (or not) so far this year for you?

Remember you’ll feel ease, flow, & relaxation in your body (& life) when you’re in alignment whether it’s for your posture or your purpose.

It's never too late to course correct if you're off track or took an accidental detour on your fitness goals.

When it comes to your posture, you want to start with creating space.

You need to overcome the compressive forces that gravity, aging, sitting, and even exercise have on your tissue and joints.

How?

Through daily stretch moves that help you lengthen through your fascia (connective tissue) and spine.

A great stretch tool for this is an exercise ball.

The surface can support your spine while you stretch up and over it.

You can also add some gentle rocking motions while you stretch with it which is super calming to your nervous system.

Use these 3 BALL STRETCH MOVES to help open up your shoulders, hips, and low back for better posture & core mobility.

You can do the STRETCH MOVES for a few breaths to a few minutes. Add gentle rocking if it feels relaxing.

Child's Pose on the Ball is a great one to do before bed. Move the ball slowly to each side to get a deeper stretch through your lat and core side muscles.

Caution!!!
*always protect your neck- you may need to support your head/neck with your hands like you would for an abdominal crunch especially if you have had a neck injury. Imagine a string pulling from the top of your head so you keep your neck long (not crunched).

*if you get dizzy in any of the positions, support your head/neck with your hands and make sure you aren’t holding your breath. Stop if that doesn't help relieve it.

OVER TO YOU

Remember our fascia takes the shape of the thing we do most during the day.

Do these BALL STRETCH Moves after sitting long periods or at the end of your workouts or day.

You can also use these BALL STRENGTH Moves before you stretch over it.

Find more ways to traction while you stretch here so you can make lasting changes to your posture and flexibility.

P.S. Want a full body daily massage & stretch routine that takes less than 10 minutes? Check out MINI Massage Camp here.

3 Strength Ball Moves For Better Posture

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Ready to have a BALL getting stronger?

Let’s challenge your Stabilizer Muscles with these 3 BALL STRENGTH MOVES.

They’ll not only help you have stronger legs and core muscles but lead to better Posture.

Bridge Legs on Ball:

Basic Move- Lie on your back (on the floor). Arms at your side. Legs in Level 1 or 2 position. Lift hips to ceiling. Hold 5-10 seconds. Lower hips. Repeat 5-10 reps for 1-3 sets.

Level 1- Legs straight and together with lower legs and heels on the ball. The less of your lower legs are on the ball, the harder it is to stabilize. Keep the ball as steady as you can while you move. Engage your core muscles. Don’t forget to breathe!

Level 2- Bend your knees and place the bottom of your feet on ball as you lift and lower your hips. Start with feet shoulder width apart. Progress to slightly wider than hips and turned out (like a squat position) as you lift and lower your hips. These positions challenge your hamstrings and gluts more intensely. One of my favs for knee rehab.

Plank on Ball:

Basic Move- Get in a push up position with elbows bent and under your shoulders. Legs in line or slightly wider than hips. Engage your core muscles. Hold the position for 30-90 seconds. Rest 1-2 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times.

Level 1- Elbows on ball and body in the plank position. Legs slightly wider than hips if needed. Keep the ball as steady as you can while maintaining good form.

Level 2- Hands on ball and body in the plank position. You might need to start with your feet against the wall until you know you can keep the ball steady.

Squat on Ball:

Basic Move- Sit on ball with your feet on floor. Move from sit on ball to squat position and then back to sit on ball x 20-30 seconds. Goal is to make your legs burn. Rest 1-2 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times.

Level 1- Position feet in line with hips and feet in parallel. Progress to feet wider than hips and turned out slightly. Go slow and keep your form while you do this exercise. Have your ball on a surface so that it won’t slide away from you. Please be careful. I don’t want you falling off of it or landing on the floor.

Level 2- Hold 5-12 pound free weights while you do the sit to squats. Keep the weights close to your core/hips. You can either hold them with elbows bent (gets your biceps) or on top of your thighs.

Note- you should not have any knee discomfort during these moves. Make sure your knees are going over your second toes, so you keep good form. You also need to have a ball that is large enough and has enough air so that when you sit on it your hips are slightly higher than your knees.

Prep Moves: If you aren’t used to the Bridge, Plank, or Squat, here are some FIT Blogs that go over how to do them (with good form) in more detail.

CORE MOVES (Bridge and Plank Tips)

POWER MOVES (Squat Tips)

Stretch Moves: After you do these Ball Strength Moves you may want to do these 2 STRETCH MOVES for your low back and gluts or these 3 Ball Stretch Moves.

OVER TO YOU:

Keep the sequence the same (bridges to planks to squats) when you do them.

You can also use them as a warmup or post cardio workout routine.

Good form and ball control is very important to focus on during these BALL MOVES.

Challenge your balance but listen to your body.

If you can’t keep good form, it might be too advanced.

Stop when you lose control of the ball or your form.

If you don’t have an exercise ball, you can get a good one that will last for years online for $10.

Join FIT NEWS, my weekly newsletter, to get more Rest (& Ball Moves) to challenge your strength, mobility, and balance throughout the year.

P.S. Ready to Boost your ENERGY, Strengthen your JOY Muscles, & Bring out the BLISS?

Use the 12 Days of Bliss Challenge- ONE simple REST Move in just 5-10 minutes a day to help you Recharge & anytime you need a Reset. Download the FREE Challenge here.

Intermittent Fasting To Burn Fat & More

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:00:00 GMT

I was slow to the party on this fitness trend, but it made the biggest impact on my energy and health over the past year.

It’s become my #1 fat burning tool- it’s helped me lose inches significantly lowering my Waist To Hip Ratio AND blood pressure.

I don’t do diets or obsess about the scale.

I’m not into skipping meals on purpose.

But last Spring I made a change to my meal planning when my fat burning quest led me to trying out Intermittent Fasting as part of The Galveston Diet (by Dr. Mary Claire Haver).

Intermittent Fasting is an Eating Pattern that rotates between periods of fasting and eating.

Studies show it can help with weight loss and decreasing abdominal fat, reducing inflammation and brain fog, improving insulin sensitivity, and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

>> Fat burning happens when you fast 12 hours or more as your body uses up its glucose stores and switches to fat burning for energy <<

During fasting, your body also has time for cellular repair processes like Autophagy which can help with disease prevention and supporting the immune system.

It can help with dementia prevention as it clears damaged cells and toxic proteins and increases BDNF production which supports the growth of nerve cells in the brain especially in the hippocampus (learning and memory center of the brain).

Reducing inflammation and your risk for obesity can also help with joint pain and cancer prevention particularly for breast, colorectal, lung, cervical, stomach cancers.

If lowering your blood glucose 3-6% or reducing your waist circumference 4-7% sounds good to you, you may want to try it.

TYPES OF INTERMITTENT FASTING:

There are a variety of ways to intermittently fast. Most common methods include:

16/8 Method: Eat all your meals within an 8 hour window and fast for 16 hours.
5:2 Diet: Eat normally 5 days and restrict calorie intake to 500-600 calories on 2 non-consecutive days.
Alternate-day fasting: Fast completely or significantly restrict calories every other day.
Eat- Stop-Eat: Fasting for 24 hours 1-2 times a week.

Ender has been doing variations of intermittent fasting on and off for years using some of the more intense methods.

That’s probably why I was so resistant to learning more about it.

I’ve only done a variation of the 16/8 Method and the others don’t interest me.

My favorite thing is it gives me structure to my day.

Before I started Intermittent Fasting, I was frequently skipping lunch.

A not so lovely habit I learned as a health care provider where we make no time for bathroom or meal breaks when working.

And my meals were frequently too spread out even though I know keeping my blood sugar stable is healthier for my body.

Intermittent Fasting helped me stop doing both of these unhealthy habits.

HOW TO GET STARTED WITH INTERMITTENT FASTING (16/8 Method):

1. Pick your eating window. How many hours will it be- 6, 8, 10 hours? And what time will you target for it?

Most common is 8 hours which means you’ll be eating in an 8 hour window then fasting for 16 hours. If you delay your breakfast, you could do an eating window of 9-5pm (with a 5pm-9am fasting window), 10-6pm (with a 6pm-10am fasting window), or 12-8pm (with an 8pm-12pm fasting window).

It needs to work for your activity and schedule otherwise you won’t stick to it.
An eating window of 10-12pm to 6-8pm will line up best with your metabolic rhythm.
Aim to hit your eating window at the same time each day or no more than an hour fluctuation for start or end times.

2. Go slow. Decrease your eating window 30 minutes at a time over time as you get to your goal eating times otherwise you’ll likely be hungry and irritable.

3. Get Protein. Make sure you are getting enough protein in your eating window so you don’t lose muscle mass.

4. Hydrate well. Staying hydrated and getting enough electrolytes is essential especially when fasting.

5. Keep up with Exercise. Avoid exercise while fasting. Make sure your eating window supports your exercise plan.  A 20 minute walk after meal can help with your glucose control.

6. Rest & Relax. Take rest & relaxation breaks during the day. Get plenty of sleep (at least 7-9 hours per night).

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

I average a 9 hour eating window but sometimes do 8 or 10.

I have to really be on my game with meal prep to do 8 hours.

I tried an 8 hour window consistently in the beginning and I found it stressful because I felt like all I was doing was eating.

I had a hard time getting in all my protein as I wasn’t hungry, so I aim for 9 hours for now. Overtime I might try to get that down to 8 more consistently. We’ll see…

Healthy habits shouldn’t be stressful.

That defeats the purpose of them.

Who shouldn’t Intermittent Fast? Contraindications include:

History of eating disorder or underweight
Type 1 Diabetes
Pregnant or breast feeding
Children or Teens
Recovering from surgery or recent illness
Newly diagnosed chronic disease – get support from your physician

OVER TO YOU:

Have you tried Intermittent Fasting before?

If you’re finding the fat distribution is changing in your body as you age or you want to get your waist to hip ratio down, I highly recommend it.

I started it for the fat burning benefits and I stay with it for how it simplifies my life, has improved my energy, helps decrease inflammation and joint pain, and has the potential to reduce my breast cancer and dementia risk.

It’s part of my fitness plan that also includes clean eating, resistance training, and mind body exercise and recovery work.

It was the first change I made last year and everything else has built on that.

It's your turn.

Pick an eating window and test it out!

P.S. Need ideas for rest & movement breaks to manage your energy during the day? Download the FREE Daily Energy Planner here.

Make A Stress Free Daily Routine

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Ever heard of the island town that wants to get rid of time?

They have constant daylight from May 18th to July 26th every summer.

Imagine boating at 3am or gardening at 4am.

The 300 residents of Sommaroy, Norway proposed this idea of breaking free from the “global clock” and having a time-free zone in 2019.

Visitors play along by leaving their watches on the bridge.

Some say it’s just a marketing strategy to attract summer tourists.

Can you imagine all of the logistical issues?

When do you check out of a hotel or how do you know when a store or restaurant is open?

You can take away time but at some point, you’ll need to decide when you’re going to sleep and eat regularly to function on a basic level.

YOUR BRAIN CRAVES A DAILY ROUTINE.

The more structure you give it, the better it'll perform.

Ever tried to make some healthy habit changes like going to the gym regularly and notice resistance popping up?

That’s partly your brain trying to keep you safe.

It doesn’t know that going to the gym is going to help you get stronger and healthier.

It just knows it’s a change in your routine.

Do you need to clean up any of your Daily Routines right now?

If you’re not sure, ask yourself:

Are you waking up well-rested, accomplishing the most important tasks each day, and feeling hopeful & happy overall?

On a more basic level (just like we monitor with babies)… are you eating, sleeping and pooping?

If not, you may need to make some tweaks to your routine and how you support your brain & body by prepping & planning better for your daily activities & rest.

Let’s review some ways to structure your day to be your most productive, energetic, creative self.

You can use them to help you get back on track or stay on track.

To begin, look at how you are scheduling your waking, eating, and sleeping times. Trying to keep consistent times in these 3 areas will do a lot for your overall performance.

You can also use the 8+8+8 rule to keep it simple. You’ve got 8 hours each day for:

Sleep
Hard work
Play (hobbies, exercise, relaxation, socializing, creative & soul fulfilling activities)

DAILY ROUTINE CHECK IN:

Do a Daily Routine Check In to see what you might want to tweak.

*Remember when you want to make changes to your routine or add new healthy habits, always ease into them and try to tie it to something you're already doing. Example: breath work while you drink your morning coffee or tea; exercise after you walk the dog.

Need help narrowing it down to your One Thing? Check out this FIT Blog.

BASIC MOVES:

How do you START your day? Think about the fuel, hydration, movement, and/or meditation you need to TURN ON your brain & body for the day.
How do you PACE yourself throughout the day, so you maintain a good energy level? Think about the meal, rest, or movement breaks you need to SUPPORT your brain & body.
How do you END your day? Think about what activities you need to help CALM your brain & body to prep for sleep: journaling, reading, stretching, showering, breathing exercises, or making your schedule for the next day.

PRO MOVES:

Plan and protect your “DEEP WORK” blocks so you can be your most creative, focused self on the most important projects. Figure out the time of day you can focus best and block that off as much as possible.
Schedule in regular PLAY breaks for recreation, leisure, relaxation, creativity, exploring, and/or socializing. Do you need to add any of these to help you transition between work and home life?
Tighten up your routine to get enough REST & RECOVERY time in especially if you’re recovering from injuries, illness, or grieving.
If you’re struggling to have enough energy for EXERCISE, check in on your hydration, protein intake, rest breaks, and peak exercise time (figure out if you're a lark or night owl).

OVER TO YOU:

Decide if you do best with set times for each daily activity or if you work best with a priority checklist and chunking your time.

You don’t want your routine to cause more stress so figure out what works best for you.

I prefer to work from a weekly checklist of priorities and chunk my activities as much as possible.

If I get too specific about what I’m going to do at each hour of the day, then it overwhelms me if I get behind that schedule.

You may need a strict schedule of what to do every 30 minutes of the day to stay focused.

Listen to your body, it’ll help you figure it out.

Start by creating more structure to your daily routine but consider regular check ins for what you may need to tweak in your week, month, quarter, or yearly routines so you can have more energy, ease, & flow.

Next up, I’ll share the tweak I made to my schedule that has made the most impact on my energy & health this past year. It created structure to my day that I didn’t realize I was missing.

P.S. Need a Bodywork Routine to help you turn on or calm your body & brain each day? Mini Massage Camp has the 8 key spots you need to target. Learn more here.

Need ideas for rest & movement breaks to manage your energy during the day? Download the FREE Daily Energy Planner here.

#1 Muscle To Target

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Apparently there's a trend to not set New Year's Resolutions anymore.

It makes sense.

80% of them are abandoned in the first two weeks of January.

The desire to improve our health, finances, or happiness is still there.

People are now setting goals when the timing is right for their body & life vs primarily at the beginning of the year.

More people listening to their bodies is a good thing.

It doesn't change the success rate of accomplishing a goal though.

You will fail when you go after a new one.

It's completely normal to get off track while it's becoming a habit.

It's how our brain is wired.

To resist.

It likes the familiar and thinks it's protecting us by using the same old pathways.

You'll also most likely go too hard, too fast, and burn yourself out.

It's human nature.

What matters is how fast you bounce back.

How resilient you are.

Not that you got off track.

️BUILD YOUR RESILIENCE MUSCLE.

You can build your resilience muscle.

It just takes practice picking yourself up.

To do that you have to become mindful of when you get off track.

The faster you realize it, the faster you can start up again.

You’ve also got to learn to let go of the guilt of eating that cookie or not going to the gym.

Before you go beating yourself up, focus on the fact you caught yourself or noticed that sneaky habit of procrastination and commit to starting over.

Instead of guilt, celebrate your wins.

Celebrate what you did do toward that goal or new habit no matter how small.

It'll help you keep doing it or attract more of it.

It’s OK if you over complicate it, overwhelm yourself, or get distracted by the new shiny object.

We want it all NOW.

New things excite us.

They turn on our brain’s happy hormones.

It just doesn't last.

How many books have you started that you haven’t finished?

So how do you get back on track?!?

️GET FOCUSED.

Decide on your 1 thing to focus on this month or quarter so you don’t sabotage yourself.

It could be related to your fitness, relationships, finances, or education.

Whatever you feel is the next step for you to move along your Wellness Adventure.

Need help narrowing it down?

Here’s the Mindful Athlete Goal Setting Worksheet to help you pick out your first fitness or wellness goal for 2026.

️ GO PRO TIPS (after you’ve picked your 1 thing):

Take Baby Steps. Your first action step needs to be a baby step. If it’s overwhelming, you haven’t broken it down enough. You can write up to 3 action steps but focus on one at a time. You probably can’t see more than 5 action steps at a time. Don’t force it. As you get new information, you may need to modify/tweak your plan. Example: you want to start doing more cardio each week. Action step- get some new shoes.
Make Space. Let go of the old, make space for the new. What do you need to declutter, release, or repurpose in your home or life so you have room for the upgrade you’re trying to make? Block off 15 minutes on your calendar to create space or to work on your first action step.
Find your Peak Time. When are you at your best for work, workouts, etc? How can you schedule doing your 1 Thing according to your peak times?

Remember to take deep breaths and baby steps.

It’s about progress not perfection.

You're training for a marathon not a sprint.

Building your resilience muscle will help you stay on course.

OVER TO YOU

Pick your 1 Thing this week.

Schedule it.

Do it.

Celebrate it.

Repeat it.

If you get off track...

Schedule it.

Do it.

Celebrate it.

Repeat it.

Build your resilience muscle.

Baby steps add up.

Your brain needs the reps to rewire.

You'll see results if you stay focused on your ONE Thing until it's time for your NEXT Thing.

P.S. Need more help getting clear on your ONE Thing?

Calm your Brain with the 12 Days of Bliss Challenge- ONE simple REST Move in just 5-10 minutes a day to help you Recharge & Reset for the New Year or anytime you're on the verge of Overwhelm & Burnout.

Let the Adventure to a Peaceful, Playful, Powerful Body Begin- Download the FREE Challenge here.