FIT BLOG:
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Are you a snacker? Food snacks especially protein ones can help stabilize your blood sugar and boost your energy. It applies to workouts also. Exercise Snacks are 1-2 minute bursts of activity that you repeat several times throughout the day instead of one longer workout. They can increase your metabolic health, endurance, and even help your muscles use protein to repair and build strength depending on the exercise you perform. You can pick any activity that’ll boost your heart rate and do it for 1-2 minutes several times a day. Exercise Snacks Examples:
IT ALL ADDS UP! Exercise snacks or movement breaks throughout the day will boost your energy, metabolism, and stamina. They’ll also help with reducing cognitive fatigue (brain fog) and completing stress cycles. The key is to do them consistently throughout the day and overtime so you get the full benefits. PRO TIP: Sitting is so hard on your body that you still need to break up your sitting time with exercise snacks even if you're going to get in a good workout that day. Do some exercise snacks for 2 minutes for every 20-30 minutes of sitting. It can be as simple as standing up and doing a round of squats. Listen to your body. It’ll tell you whether it needs food, hydration, rest, or movement breaks (Mini Moves) to feel more energy, ease, and flow each day.  P.S. Ready to be active & agile at any age? Download your FREE Relaxed Body Toolkit to get started here.
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Woohoo, we did it! We launched our Texas sized Tandem SUP. Besides being a ton of fun to be back on the water, it felt good to accomplish something we had talked about doing for years. It all started when we saw a group paddling on the lake with these huge inflatable boards that held their dogs, coolers, and 2-3 people on each board. Literally a paddle party! It seemed like the solution to our dogs crying when they were separated on the boards or about wanting all of us on one board. The inflatable tandem board also does better on open water or the rougher water of a Texas lake. Unfortunately, Tyson (our 16 year old dog) passed away before we got it going but this summer we decided it was time to go all in and it would be part of our 20 year anniversary celebration. The weather cooperated and it was a success with only a few hiccups, so it was good we tested it without Teddie (our now 14 year old dog). It’s always exciting & healthy for your body & brain to start something new. Here's a video of the journey so far...  We love SUP because it’s a FULL body workout that challenges both your body & brain. An excellent way to turn on your postural muscles and get into flow. You get the benefits of the calming meditative powers of nature AND the core challenge to your balance & coordination from stabilizing on the water. Tandem paddle boarding requires even more coordination and teamwork. It felt more like sculling as the board is sensitive to our every move. We need more practice before we bring Teddie out but are loving being back on the water. We’ll be taking advantage of the cooler weather over the next few months to get comfortable with the board. It’s a great time to try SUP if you’ve never tried or get back to it if you have before. If you can’t get near a body of water, here are 4 exercises to help you experience the healing power of water no matter where you are. 1. Cooling Breathwork: visualize or sit in nature or near water and do some Cooling Breathwork. 2. The Fountain: try this Qi Gong "Fountain" exercise. It’s a moving meditation to help you get in the flow and “just be water.” It can be done in sitting or standing. Kids love it. It’s a fun one to do when you need a quick break to clear your mind, calm your body, or recharge. Just 7 reps can make a difference and help you find your flow. Watch this short video to learn how simple it is to do. 3. Water Meditation: lie down in a comfortable position and visualize a waterfall pouring over you. Inhale In the good healing powers of the water. Imagine absorbing all the “energy” or “power” of the waterfall. Exhale and release anything you want to let go of (i.e. toxic thoughts, pain, etc). Continue for 3 minutes or longer if it feels good to you. You’re letting the water refresh you and wash away anything you no longer need deep into the ground below you. Pro Tip: if you have a hard time visualizing, try this version in the shower. Close your eyes, get present with a few deep breath and feel the water as it flows over you from head to toe. Imagine all the toxins, negative feelings, or events from your day washing down the drain. 4. Soak in the Tub: take an Epsom salt bath with lavender to release toxins and relax your body and mind. These exercises help release toxins, recharge your energy, and even get your creativity flowing. Find time to get outside & refresh near water as much as possible before the winter months hit. Use these exercises to fill in the gaps when you can't get outside. Which one feels best in your body? Schedule regular "water" breaks into your day.  P.S. Ready to find your flow & tap into your creative energy? SHINE™ and info on how you can join the next Rest Crew is coming soon. Get on the interest list here.
Did you figure out your Peak Time to workout yet? If so, did you shift anything around in your schedule and see changes in your energy or performance? Hope so. I've got another fitness hack to help you plan your workouts. Cycle syncing. You can use your monthly cycle to help guide you with exercise. Cycle check in (for females): Where are you in your monthly cycle? Your body needs different activity and has different energy levels based on the changes in hormones you go through each monthly cycle. Paying attention to and respecting these needs throughout the month will help your body have more energy and perform better with less effort. In general, you want to be gentle and take it easy while you are bleeding and start to ramp up exercise during the middle of your cycle. You want to ramp down as you approach the end of your cycle. Beginning of your cycle (Days 1-5): focus on Rest/Reflect/Relax activities (i.e. naps, meditate, gentle stretching/walking). Middle of your cycle (Days 6-20): you can train harder and increase the intensity (i.e. strength, cardio, interval training). End of your cycle (Days 21-28): start to taper down training (i.e. yoga, pilates). To dig deeper into this, check out the:
Not bleeding regularly or at all? You can use the lunar cycle to guide you. Kate's book talks about this in detail but basically:
If you are male, you can do this too. You actually go through all these hormone cycles in a 24 hour period. Every. Single. Day. You've got a few options:
Cycle syncing + working out at your Peak Time will help you get better results with less effort! If you test it out, you'll see what I mean. Give it a go and let me know your results in the comments below. Enjoy! Mollie P.S. Want to feel, move, & perform better in 3 minutes or less? Download the free MINI MOVES Daily Planner & Cheat Sheet for simple self-care exercises that’ll help your body feel more energy, ease and flow each day. |
Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT
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