Mom in the City

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This might seem like an unusual blog post for a fitness company, but I felt like my experience this weekend spoke to so many things many of us feel during the holidays.

My mother made the decision to visit me in the city (traveling without my father for the first time in forever!), and I decided to show her my favorite things about the city while also being the best daughter anyone had ever seen, of course. We have lots of similarities in our tastes, so I was sure that this would all happen relatively perfectly. And the weather was ridiculously warm – a huge bonus!

Without getting too detailed, I realized very quickly that my poor mother was not loving the bus ride that took 2 extra hours because of holiday traffic or the long, blister-producing walks I had planned through the crowded holiday streets or even the idea of hanging out for hours in hot rooms at the spa where I planned to drag her. I had made all these plans to impress her without completely taking her into account.

Truthfully, both my mother and I ended up having a great time and some wonderful  chances to connect (and she honestly ended up loving the spa – a wonderful place I recommend in Palisades Park, NJ http://kingsaunanj.com). What I learned, though, was to take a step back. To stop feeling like I had to force things and maybe take my mother – and others in my life – for who they are as separate people from me.  And most importantly, to consider looking at things in my life with a little more humor.

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Finding Perspective

I bring all of this to the page because I can’t help but see these personal discoveries as important elements of my own health and wellness as I head into the New Year. If I’m going to be healthy and fit, I also need to find ways to reframe the things that pull me back in other parts of my life. Maybe reinterpreting others’ actions is the way to go – or also making the time to have important conversations that needed to happen for a while. Or maybe just looking at family holiday adventures with more levity and perspective.

Looking Ahead

I really believe that choosing to go into the next year with fresh perspective is hard but ultimately so important and rewarding. Don’t tackle everything in your life but rather choose one or two things to see in a new way. You will certainly feel healthier and more centered.

We work on strengthening the core a lot in our classes. This is definitely another way to do that.

Plus a few planks whenever you have the chance :)

Tips for Hanging in There

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It’s that time of year!

So many of us get caught in the holiday madness – which often means holiday party after holiday party on top of last-minute work deadlines, children with big holiday events, extended family commitments, a winter cold or flu, and seemingly no time for ourselves!

How do we possibly keep up our exercise routine right now?

Here are a few tips designed to make exercise a little easier to add to your life without stress.  In fact, if done right, your exercise routine should be one of your biggest stress reducers and protections against holiday pitfalls.

Tip #1:  Schedule It!

Schedule your fitness sessions at the beginning of the  week.  This way they’re set. You have made a personal promise to yourself to keep your schedule, and you’ll be more apt to schedule everything else in your life around it.  You also won’t be as tempted to skip exercise if you see it as an essential part of your week rather than an “optional” bonus.

Tip #2: Go with Friends

Recruit friends to come to your classes or gym sessions with you – and make those plans in advance. You won’t be as tempted to bow out, you’ll have more fun, and maybe you’ll start a healthy routine you can keep with your group.  You can laugh together about your crazy instructor – or share your soreness woes the next day!

Tip #3:  Choose Fun Over Pain

Many of us love an  intense workout (I do!), but try looking for classes  that are truly fun and enjoyable as well.  You don’t want to start something now that ultimately feels too hard to keep up. Fitness should be part of a lifestyle that makes you happy and that gives you a healthy outlet for letting off steam. Plus, you don’t want to get injuries that prevent you from coming back. Find something you really love so that you’ll truly want to stick with it.

Tip #4:  Get a Great Outfit

Ok, I know – this sounds pretty superficial.  But honestly, you will work out with so much more energy and passion if you feel beautiful in your clothes.  You will see a side of yourself that will motivate you to keep coming and feeling good.  And the exercise in turn will make your clothing look and feel better. Plus new clothing can be a great incentive for rewarding the hard work you have put into your body and your spirit.  This is a gift-giving time, and you need gifts sometimes, too!

Joanie – My Wonderful Instructor and Health Coach

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I knew as soon as I heard about Joanie that I wanted to include her in my business. Words like lovely, devoted, holistic, empathetic, hard-working, and knowledgeable were some of the qualities that were used to describe her. And not only did she have extensive experience in fitness, but she had her own health coaching business and a philosophy about wellness that closely matched my own.

I pursued Joanie for a while until I wore her down (ha!) – and I’m thrilled to have her now as the senior member of my team!

It’s so important to me that Body Conceptions represents more than just fitness. We promote health and happiness in all of our clients in all stages of their lives. We also believe that nutrition, exercise, lifestyle and emotional health are all too interconnected to address separately.

Since Joanie’s business, Motivated Nutrition, represents one of the first wellness businesses we have welcomed as a partner, I thought it was important to include her here so that you can get to know her a little better. Plus, she’s just a really cool and fun person (even when she’s inflicting pain on you in your training sessions with her!).

~Mahri

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Health coaching is kind of a mysterious term. What does it actually entail? And how did you get into it?

I get this all the time!  “What the heck is a health coach?”

I like to describe myself as a life coach that specializes in fitness and nutrition.  I help my clients set sustainable wellness goals and then we work together to transform those goals into action.  I set them up for lifelong success as they learn to listen to their bodies, become informed consumers when navigating the “health world” and strive to live each day with optimal energy and positivity!

Do you have a general coaching “philosophy?” If so, what is it?

My philosophy is rooted in the concept of “bio-individuality”.   There’s no such thing as a cookie cutter solution to our health.  We all have different background, likes, passions and goals.  There’s no such thing as one diet or lifestyle works for everybody.

Do you work with different people differently?

The bio-individuality approach means that every client is a new challenge.  And I love a challenge!  I try to understand each client as a whole person.  What foods do you love?  How much time do you have?  What workouts excite you?  How well do you manage stress?  There are so many factors that go into figuring out what lifestyle changes are going to help you reach your goals!

What have been some of your biggest challenges as a health coach?

My biggest challenge is teaching clients not to blindly follow whatever the health “trend” of the moment is.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a mean, green juice, but the juicing fad at the moment is driving me bonkers!

You are a knowledgeable and talented trainer for Body Conceptions, and the results you have gotten with our clients have been nothing short of amazing. Without mentioning names, could you talk about some of the accomplishments you’ve seen?

Aside from loosing weight and gaining strength, the biggest accomplishment in my clients has been the transformation in the way they feel in their bodies and view themselves.  There is nothing more beautiful than a woman totally in love with the way she feels in her body.  All my clients are gorgeous that way!

Part of my own philosophy establishing Body Conceptions came out of my interest in helping people lead healthier and happier lives and also connecting them with a bigger wellness community in the city. What are your thoughts about combining health coaching with fitness training?

They are one in the same.  Being physically fit is essential to good health. You want to be able to run with your children, enjoy nature’s beauty on a long hike, and not have to worry about aches and pains when you are doing things you enjoy.   My tag line has become “The healthier we are, the happier we play.”  Health coaching isn’t just about food.  It’s about becoming healthy and happy enough to “play” through life!

Ok – now to the fun stuff. Do you have any vices? What are they?

A glass of red wine and semi-sweet chocolate chips before bed.  It’s my worst, and most cherished, bad habit.  I’ve tried to cut back to just once a week but after a long day of exercise, there’s really nothing better.

You like to work with children, right? What kind of work have you done with them?

Can you remember how boring health class was growing up?  With childhood obesity on the rise, we can’t continue to make children memorize the food pyramid and expect them to eat healthier because of it.  We’ve got to get them moving and make nutrition fun!  I’ve developed a creative movement program that builds confidence in children as movers, gets their heart rates up, enhances creativity and the end of the session they are telling me things like “Sugar is whack!”

I also have a family health-coaching program that helps families incorporate better nutrition, meal planning, exercise and wellness habits into their busy, everyday lives.

And what’s something fun about you that no one would ever guess?

I took 7 ½ months off and backpacked through Southeast Asia with my fiancé a few years ago.  We walked 6 miles of The Great Wall of China, climbed 3 volcano’s in Indonesia and nearly died in a sulfur mine at the bottom of one them (!), learned to drive Elephants in Laos, slept under a million stars in an Indian dessert after riding camels for 8 hrs, and hiked through a blizzard in the Himalayas in Nepal for 8 days…All while wearing the same 2 T-shirts and 3 pairs of underwear.   AND I made some pretty awesome travel videos along the way!  http://bucketbath.travellerspoint.com/