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Hey there,Taken a walk today? If not, you may want to pay close attention to this.You might have heard that 10,000 steps is a MUST for optimal health…But new research shows that only 8,200 steps is enough to protect you from some of the most common chronic diseases! In a recent 4-year review of over 6,000 FitBit users in the “All of Us” medical project, researchers found that just 8,200 steps can protect you against:That’s just 4 miles/6.4 km per day.Not only that, but researchers said the risk for most health problems continued to go down as the number of daily steps went up past the 8,200 mark.What’s more, they also found that overweight

You know I like to focus on the positive, right?Well, in this blog I’m going to tell you how NOT to reach your goals this year.Because there’s one big mistake you can make that can push you into a HUGE trap – and you’ll end up feeling frustrated, burned out, and like a quitter.Here’s how it happens:You set some HUGE goals for the New Year (yay!!!!).Starting NOW, you will finally get your you-know-what together.You’ll drink ALL the water … eat super-clean food (and journal every bite) … be extra active … go to bed early … and get up even EARLIER.But then a few days later you’re exhausted. You decide to

Has this ever happened to you before? You’re planning on making dinner after work … but as soon as it’s time to start cooking, you start to think:And you’re tempted to give in and hit the drive-through (or make the takeout call). I get it! By the end of the day, making dinner can seem like a LOT of effort in your head.BUT … before you let any of those excuses take hold, try this:Excuse Buster #1: Take back your power from the voice in your head.Acknowledge that YOU control your actions – not your fleeting thoughts or whims.The choices you make and the actions you take TODAY play a direct role in your TOMORROWS

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Seuss“You just don’t understand!”Oh but we do dear teen! The emotional and social roller coaster ride this stage of development brings about is not easily forgotten by any adult who remembers their journey through the middle and high school years. We have all been there!When you consider the amount of changes occurring in the teen body physically, intellectually and emotionally coupled with the unpredictable ebb and flow that inevitably arises in teens’ social life, it is no wonder that oftentimes parents, teachers and coaches witness mood swings, irritability, sensitivity, self-conscious behavior/response

Ready to finish out 2021 STRONG?I’ve got something a little different for you today but you know it has to be good because it’s straight from Jerry Seinfeld. It’s called “The Seinfeld Strategy”.And it’s the same exact method he used to pump out non-stop content for his TV show and for his stand-up acts.Here’s what’s really cool. We can use this same strategy to stay consistent with our fitness/health/nutrition also. Especially through the holiday season!How it works:The key is to set yourself up for success.Aiming for a 90-minute workout, 7 days/week isn’t going to be realistic for most people. But you know what is? MOVING your body and getting your heart

Hello, again! Here’s a short and sweet blog post for y’all. I’ve been talking a lot about mindfulness over the past few weeks because of its effect on both your results and wellness …And I can’t NOT talk about its impact on your sleep.You probably already know that not getting enough sleep can affect your mood, appetite, focus, productivity, performance, health, and even your waistline.But get this!Mindfulness meditation has been shown to cut the wake time of people suffering from insomnia by up to 50%.How mind-blowing is that?Mindfulness meditation can be as simple as sitting quietly with your eyes closed for 5-10 minutes, focusing on your breath, or you could use an

Adaptability is about how you respond to your child, especially when things do not go as planned.  Your child will have a variety of great days, bad days, and everything in between. Here are a few ways you can apply adaptability to your parenting and keep your child motivated:Intrinsic MotivationWhat do you do if your child does not want to do something?You can intrinsically motivate them by allowing them to make choices or small decisions.  Before I began using healthy competition to encourage my child to brush his teeth, I had to physically put the toothbrush in his mouth and brush for him.  I eventually realized that I had to adapt differently because it

One of the most important things that you can do as a parent is establish a connection with your child. In fact, children need connection more than anything else.Here are a few ways that you can begin to build a great connection with your child: Daily Interactions:1. Make one-on-one connections with your child. Instead of asking a question from across the room, take an extra 15 seconds to walk to your child, get down on their level, maybe tap their shoulder or touch their arm, and ask the question. Chances are they will engage right away (instead of ignoring you) and answer you because you have made that personal connection.2. Connect

Boy, oh-boy! Here’s a little motivation for you today,I have a very short – but important! – message for you today. For some of you, it may be hard to hear. Here it is:Feeling like you don’t have time to exercise is NOT an excuse to skip your workouts…Because workouts are THAT important for your health! Your workouts are literally the Fountain of Youth for your cells. (Even older “aging” cells.) It doesn’t matter if it’s kickboxing, Forge personal training, or any of our martial arts classes; each one of these incorporates movement to our fitness which plays a huge role to our vitality!Among all the other benefits of exercise, short & intense workouts actually

I want to talk about a “feel-good” topic that’s finally becoming a mainstream trend.It’s BODY POSITIVITY … which basically means loving your body right this very minute – without any ifs, ands, or buts.Because, frankly, your body is a miracle!It deserves your care and respect because it works so hard to support you each and every day.And one of the BEST things you can do to show your body that love and support is to MOVE it – regularly and intentionally. An added bonus is learning how to defend yourself while moving your body; two birds, one stone — right?When you exercise regularly, your body just plain FEELS and FUNCTIONS better from

Over the last year, sports programs have had shortened seasons, if any at all. Because of that, training time for athletes of all ages has dropped significantly. Now, with sports returning semi normal , young athletes are working hard to regain lost skills and recondition their bodies. The problem, however, is that lengthy breaks increase the risk of injury upon returning to training. In addition, when athletes specialize in a sport, they generally only train muscles for that sport. To be truly at the top of their game, young athletes should engage in training that develops all muscle groups through a system designed to meet their athletic and developmental needs.When athletes

This investment tip pays offThis month we’re taking a deep dive into a BILLION-dollar topic. No, that is not a typo!It’s all about staying healthy as you age.This year, across the world people will spend $62 billion on anti-aging efforts.That’s one of those numbers that is so big, it’s hard to imagine, am I right?But imagine this: you don’t have to break the bank in order to be healthy at EVERY age.Your health & wellness is like your retirement account.The consistent investments you make NOW – by eating a healthy diet, working out regularly, taking care of your skin/eyes/teeth, not smoking, etc. – pay off big-time deep into the future!And the

Over the past year, children have faced many disturbances in their daily lives and interactions. These things have contributed to a lot of emotional imbalance and brought on or exacerbated feelings of sadness, fear, and anxiety. Since children are still developing abilities to regulate their strong and ever-changing emotions, they need assistance in strengthening these skills. Providing parents with resources to support their children is crucial. In addition, getting children involved in environments that support their emotional development will help fill the void and rebuild more positive feelings.The effects of isolation from family and friends have taken an emotional toll on everyone. But for children, the impact was more significant due

With the new upcoming Lean and Mean 30 day challenge on the horizon, I put some serious thought into where I wanted to be in 30 days. Do I want to be in the same spot I am in now or do I want to set those goals and hit those goals. Most people would say the latter, I hope. I began to reflect on my eating, exercise, at home workout, stretching routine, you name it and to be quite honest it all felt a little overwhelming. Most people find themselves here. Thinking, “Where do I begin?” ” How do I get to the goal I am wanting?” and most people

Metabolism: What Is It?Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.Even when you’re at rest, your body needs energy for all its “hidden” functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells. The number of calories your body uses to carry out these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate — what you might call metabolism.Several factors determine your individual basal metabolism, including:Energy needs for your body’s basic functions stay fairly consistent and aren’t easily

For years, parents and children have been faced with the dreaded summer slide, a time when the school year ends and summer learning loss begins. And as if it wasn’t detrimental enough in it’s own rights, this year the summer slide has been accelerated by the COVID slide and trauma related to the pandemic. The reality of this is that children’s cognitive performance has decreased earlier than usual. To counteract this, it’s essential that children have access to a summer program that fosters brain development while also keeping health and safety top of mind.For most children, actual learning of new information abruptly ended and school districts did their best to put

The recent closures of schools and businesses are widespread and have led to major disruptions in the daily routines of families. Children are trying to adjust to doing school at home and parents are now trying to balance their new work from home life with their role as teacher to their children. To cope, it’s important for families to implement daily routines that incorporate school and work along with family time and hobbies.Humans are creatures of habit and when our everyday lives are disturbed, we become anxious. For children, this anxiety often leads to behavior problems which can create power struggles and difficulty completing schoolwork. To help ease these challenges, implementing

The development of a child can be one of the most fascinating things to watch unfold. From infants mirroring movements to toddlers and children mastering high level developmental skills, the growth they experience in a short time is astounding. And while all skills are important for children to master, bilateral coordination is an important prerequisite for development of a variety of motor and cognitive skills.Bilateral coordination is the ability to synchronize both sides of the body in a controlled manner. An important aspect of this is “crossing the midline.” This is a spontaneous movement and involves being able to cross an imaginary line that runs down the center of the body.

➡ What’s sweet, sneaky, and pretty much hiding everywhere in our food?ANSWER: It’s ADDED SUGAR!And it’s not helping you achieve your health & wellness goals. It affects your hormones, your energy, your mood, and even your waistline!Plus, if you’ve ever tried to cut back before, you know it can be a real challenge!Not only can cutting out added sugar cause cravings … but it can leave you feeling tired, moody, and blah.That’s EXACTLY why I created my brand new 5-Day Sugar Detox! It’s a FREE 5-DAY MINI-CHALLENGE to help you eliminate those pesky added sugars from your diet.⚡Download your free copy of it RIGHT NOW! Not only do you get my step-by-step