keepitsimple.

You know those people that look like they have it all together? Always happy and seems to be on top of everything? Maybe it’s a big cover…or maybe they’ve mastered their routine to set themselves up for success. That could be you!!

When we take care of ourselves, do the right things to make our lives smoother, we are able to spend more time and energy on the things that matter. Instead of just trying to keep our heads above water. Today I will point out 3 areas that we have control of to make life more pleasant for ourselves and everyone we interact with.

Environment

Having a clean and neat space feels so good- doesn’t it? Everything is organized and has its place, you know where it all is.

Take a day to organize your home:

-put away that laundry

-donate/toss those old things you forgot you had

-wipe down your bathroom

-make your bed

-avoid letting dishes pile up

-go through all that mail!

I guarantee you’ll experience a much more peaceful tone and you’ll actually want to spend time at home, in your kitchen, in your room, at your desk AND be more productive.

Along with environment, look around and notice who you surround yourself with. You are the product of the people you spend the most time with. So choose to spend your time with productive, happy, creative, active, curious, encouraging, smart, and playful people…you won’t regret it.

Preparation/Organization

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, what we do with them is on us. Yes, we’re all busy and work, we take care of ourselves and our families, etc, etc. However, building time into your daily routine will allow you to power through your day and prepare yourself for the next one/next week/next month!

Here are some ways that I prepare ahead of time:

-pick out my clothes the night before

-set a day to go food shopping

-cook meals a couple days in advance

-keep a calendar with appts and events

-within that calendar, find times to workout/move each day

-have a set bedtime to allow myself 7-8 hours of sleep every night

I’m not the best “on the spot” person. I don’t tend to well when I’m unprepared (like many others),so I do my best to avoid letting that happen. Even if it means I’m missing out on what seems like a fun night out, waking up feeling refreshed and ready is much more important to me.

Mindset

Without the right mindset, none of this is going to make your life smoother, it might even cause some stress. Realize that it’s common to feel in over your head when trying to get organized or set yourself up with a new routine. The routine may not stick right away or may be challenging to maintain

Just remember:

-be kind to yourself

-take baby steps when implementing new techniques

-know that you’re putting time in now for less stress later

-if other people can do it, so can you

-don’t forget to breathe

There are a million different ways you can set yourself for success, however that looks for you. Whether you’re preparing for a long work week or a first date or just trying to get out of the door on time for work, people can tell when you’re well put together and feeling your best. Take the time to do the little things that add up to big things later.

#funfact: Oxnard, CA has over 20 miles of coastline!! Which beach shall we go to?!

We have all been through intimidating job interviews, uncomfortable conversations, pushed through exhausted times and done things that we aren’t quite as prepared for as we’d like.

How did you feel after you got through it? Sigh of relief. You did it…it’s over and you’re alive.

Whether it went the way you hoped it would or not, you can take pride in the fact that you got it done. You may have built up a much more stressful and challenging time than it actually was. When you handle situations that you dread and maybe scare you a little, you grow each time. You grow by learning from these interactions and conversations that you have.

For example, it’s your first day at a new job. Your manager tours you around the building introducing you to your new colleagues as you go. You make it back to your desk and you’re alone…now what?! You’re supposed to get started on some things but you’re unsure of where to begin.

You could either writhe at your desk, stressing over how to do your job or you could get up and ask Miguel, that friendly-looking guy you had met earlier, where to find the things you need to get started. But you don’t want to bother him. What if he thinks that you’re incompetent? What if he’s not actually as friendly as he looks?

You’ve got to get to work so after sitting with your thoughts for a few more moments, you stand up and walk over to ask for help. As soon as you re-introduce yourself and confess that you’re lost, he smiles and offers his assistance. He too remembers his first day and would be happy to help.

On the other end of the spectrum, you are finding yourself frustrated with a friend that you used to be close with. They are negative and constantly burdening you with complaints about their “horrible life”. It has begun to take a toll on you mentally and emotionally. Whenever you’re around them you leave feeling really low. You know that if you continue to spend time with them when they are in this state, it will continue to bring you down.

There is a difficult conversation that you must have in order to protect your well-being. You go back and forth in your head about whether you want to bring it up, it could hurt their feelings and you could lose a friend, but this really isn’t okay for you.

You decide to sit them down the next time you see them to ask if everything is okay and share with them that their negative emotions are very strong and beginning to affect you. They take it terribly and begin to cry and tell you what a horrible friend you are. After they storm out, you don’t speak for the next week. You feel down about losing a friend however you begin to notice that without the negative energy bogging you down, you are keeping a much lighter state of mind and feeling happier.

By exposing yourself to pretty major discomfort you have allowed yourself to become more resilient and end up in a better place.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. It will open up opportunities that you wouldn’t have known about had you stayed scared and quiet.

#funfact: A human’s ears & nose never stop growing.

How is your relationship with food?
Do you eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full? Do you eat only things that serve your body nutritionally? Do you always feel happy and contently satisfied with your meals?

…yeah, me neither.

Growing up, family gatherings always revolved around food. As soon as you get to an aunt or uncle’s house they’re serving you a generous plate of rich food. Finished with your plate? That means you’re ready for round 2 of nearly equal portion size. You’re full? Don’t be rude, take that second helping anyways. And make sure not to waste food!

In the health and fitness world there are so many different sources telling us different things. Eat 5 small meals during the day. You should try intermittent fasting. Don’t eat any carbs. Do this 21-day detox cleanse. AHH! How do we know where to start, which to choose and for how long?!

How about we go back to the basics?…When we are born, we have an innate sense of hunger and fullness. We cry for food when we’re hungry and we stop when we’re satisfied. As we go through life and its experiences, those hunger and satiety cues are drowned out and sometimes lost all together.
I can certainly tell when I’m hungry and don’t usually hesitate to eat! Although, sometimes I question whether I’m actually hungry or just bored. If I ignore my hunger cues for too long, thinking I’m not actually hungry yet, head for the hills…I’m HANGRY.
Figuring out (and honoring) my fullness level is much different. With the “do not waste food” mentality embedded in my brain, paired with my love for all things delicious, I often clean plates even if I know it’s well beyond a serving of food. Even to the point of feeling sick from eating too much, then guilt.

Does that sound familiar to anyone else?

Just know that you’re not alone! While the majority of my food choices are fresh and healthy…too much of a good thing can be bad. And I crave sweets and baked goods like anyone else.

I am learning now how to be more intuitive about my eating. Thinking about how hungry I really am, what sounds appetizing at that moment, how much I enjoy the taste of the food, noticing the texture of each bite, how I feel after eating. I have also began to avoid mindless eating- eating while I am distracted by my phone and working on the computer. By changing my framework around eating, I am enjoying my food more and becoming more satisfied, usually with smaller portions.

I invite you to slow things down.
Enjoy your meals with your special people.
Put your phone away.
Take smaller bites, chew each one thoroughly.
Notice the smell of the dish.
Take note of the texture.
Are you enjoying what you’re eating?

You’re in charge of everything that goes into your mouth and into your body. Let’s feed it what it really wants and needs. That’s usually what makes us feel and look our best.

#funfact: Avocados and cinnamon are in the same family.

My second favorite movement is pulling! Upper body pulling, to be more specific.

Pulling? You ask…yes, pull. Pull yourself to better posture and a strong & lean looking back. Sounds pretty sweet, right?

For a well-rounded workout program you need to incorporate pulling movements. Most people would highly benefit from doing a 2:1 ratio of pulling to pushing exercises(which we’ll explore later).

Pulling involves exercises in which you are pulling the weight to you or yourself to a stationary point, like pull-ups. While doing these movements, you are targeting the posterior chain of your body, including(but not limited to) lats, serratus anterior, rhomboids, deltoids, and also working your your biceps and forearms.

While you are strengthening your posterior chain, you are also increasing the strength of your core that will need to stabilize your body through the exercises. Who doesn’t want a stronger core? With efficient pulling motions there are smooth scapular movements for healthy shoulders! Having a strong & effective pull will allow for stronger pushing exercises, believe it or not. Look forward to a more developed front side while you work your back.

There are 2 basic ways of pulling– horizontal & vertical.
Horizontal pulling like standing cable rows and bent-over rows. Vertical pulling includes pull-ups, chin-ups and lat pull-downs. It’s best to perform a combination of horizontal and vertical pulling exercises, for balance…of course.

Pick a few of these exercises to add to your next workout (and the next one and the next one):
–TRX row
–Bent over dumbbell or kettlebell row
–Standing/half kneeling cable row
–Seated/tall kneeling lat pull down
–Pull-ups (assisted or not)

If you are unsure of how to perform these exercises, ASK A PROFESSIONAL for help & guidance. Do yourself a favor by learning how to do a proper pull to reap the benefits.

#funfact: There are over 100 species of roses.

Good things come to those who work.
Have you noticed that the things we want most in life don’t usually just fall in our lap?

The successes of others that we fawn over, the top notch athlete and the fearless leader we admire have all been through deep trenches of challenges, defeat, and self-doubt like everyone else. We place successful people on pedestals and wish we were like them. What we don’t see are all of the hundreds of hours spent preparing, practicing and failing. These tough times are what build them up and allow them to step up to difficult tasks & succeed.

The toughness that is being tested and strengthened through each of these struggles is perseverance.
What is perseverance? It is steady persistence in a course of action or purpose, in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragement.

Fortunately and unfortunately for us, life is full of struggles that we must overcome to experience and appreciate the triumph of accomplishment. Without the negatives, the positives wouldn’t be as great.
Keeping these thoughts in mind will allow your perseverance to hold true to get you to your next goal.

There will be tough times and challenges that we will face that seem unconquerable, however we always find a way to adapt and make things work…

What kind of impact do you want to have? You can have an impact on your circle of friends, within your family, at your workplace, and even the WORLD!

First of all, what does “impact” mean? To me, having an impact involves inspiring and motivating others to do something they probably wouldn’t have done without your influence.
Second, what is something that moves you, something that you’re passionate about? I love to help people find their version of healthy, what makes them feel good and how to make this their lifestyle. Your passion can be yoga, traveling, writing, photography, gardening, cars…anything! Anything that makes your happy to your core.
If you need to spend time with yourself to figure out where your passion lies, I highly encourage you to do that!

I am extremely fortunate to be able to work in the field that I am passionate about. Whenever I help someone find the motivation to continue their clean eating, or realize that they’ve become stronger in a certain exercise, or stay positive during a difficult week…that’s impact.
Just by living in my truth of my passion, living a healthy and active lifestyle with a positive mindset, I get to have an impact everyday.

Let’s say hiking is something that you’re passionate about. It makes you SO happy to be out on the trail, adventuring in nature. What kind of impact could you have? You could invite friends and family to hike with you so they too can enjoy it. Maybe there is a local hiking group you can become part of, joining a community of like-minded people gives you the opportunity to create relationships that will impact everyone involved. You could vow to pick up 3 pieces of trash while you’re out on the trails…there are so many directions that impact can lead to. Don’t underestimate your efforts and value!

Speaking of trash…let’s get together to impact our environment. I challenge you to pick up 1 piece of trash today. The California population is over 39,000,000, the United States is over 325,000,000…can you imagine the impact we would have if everyone picked up ONE pice of trash?! Let’s do it.

Bottom line: you have the potential to make an impact on our world. Whether it’s within your office to start a walking club, or maybe cooking and sharing a simple and healthy meal with a friend, or even picking up a piece of trash. A little bit goes a long way.

#funfact : 23 days until summer!

Within the scope of exercise, there are 5 basic movements: push, pull, squat/lunge, hip hinge, and rotation.

Do you do all of these movements in your workouts? Do you know what all of these movements are? If not, I’ll cover them all within a movement series…for now, I want bring your attention to my favorite movement of them all: hip-hinging.

Not sure what hip-hinging is? That’s okay!
Think about a door hinge, or your knee joint, or a dangling forearm at the elbow during a solid robot dance…those are hinges. Now imagine your hips being a hinge between your upper body and lower body.
You’re picking something up from the floor, you’re bending over to play with your kids, you’re hopefully hip hinging and not using just your back for these actions. We hip hinge during so many of our day-to-day activities, it’s important to be able to perform them correctly & confidently.

Why do I love them so much?
–To be able to deadlift(hip hinge) safely means that you have control over your core, you are able to stabilize your trunk and protect your back. Your lats are crucial for control of whatever you are carrying, meaning that you are able to pack your shoulders down away from your ears for better posture during your workout and in your everyday life.
–Big booties are in…and it’s highly beneficial to work that posterior chain in conjunction with core for a bigger, stronger booty.
–It’s extremely empowering to lift something heavy that you never thought you could!

Hip hinge exercises include glute bridges, kettlebell swings & snatches, windmills, deadlifts and all deadlift variations.

If these exercises sound scary and intimidating to you, practice a couple of prerequisites before moving onto bigger lifts:
Forearm/hand plank– it’s imperative to be able to stabilize your core and keep it from any type of rotation/movement through strong tension and a neutral pelvis/spine. Make sure to keep shoulders down away from your ears, maintain a flat back, hollow your abs and gently squeeze your glutes!
Glute bridges– this is a great way to turn on your glutes and open up the front of your hips. Start by performing the exercise while lying on the floor. Once you feel ready to progress the exercise, you can make it more challenging by elevating your head and tops of shoulders on a bench and later adding some weight to your lap.

I’d recommend starting with single kettlebell deadlifts, progressing into a barbell and/or a single-leg deadlift variation. There are so many routes to explore with hip-hinging. As long as your body is feeling strong and solid, don’t be afraid to experiment with hip-hinging. Please always keep in mind to initiate the movement from the hips, NOT the upper body or back.
If you are unsure about exercises- ASK A PROFESSIONAL FOR HELP. Deadlifts get a bad rep based on injuries, but with proper form they can save you from many other mindless injuries.

Cheers to the hip-hinge!

#funfact : Hawaii’s Big Island continues to grow about 42 acres each year thanks to the still-active volcano Kilauea.

For the sake of love and appreciation for life and all of you, let’s take a moment to think of one positive thing that happened today.

I’ll give you a few examples from my day:
I got to empower one of my clients to do full pushups
I had the pleasure of enjoying a group workout with good company
I am feeling healthy and well even after a weekend at Coachella
As I write this, I am sitting outside listening to some nice “Lofi House” music
…and there is still more day to come!

These positive moments can be as small as noticing a cool cloud in the sky that made you stop at look, or sharing a nice interaction with someone you’ve been wanting to talk to. They can also be big positives like getting that promotion or reaching a major fitness goal that you’ve been working for! Either way, learning to celebrate wins can be such a major tool to have in your pocket.

Stopping to realize these wins takes some slowing down. In these times of information overload, instant gratification and hustling, small moments can get rushed over and be unappreciated.
You meal prepped and didn’t eat out 3 times this week– WIN!
You decided to workout even if you forgot your headphones– WIN!
You beat your step goal by 5,000 steps– WIN!
You went to bed earlier and got 8 hours of sleep last night- WIN!!

One of my major life philosophies is do not rush through anything.
Whether you’re in the process of finishing school, getting through a shift at work, waiting for a vacation or working towards a fitness goal…DON’T RUSH THROUGH TIME. Time is an incredibly precious thing that we canNOT get back. It passes us by very quickly with the blink of an eye. It’s April 2018! Wasn’t it just the new year?!
By seeking out positives throughout our days, we can stop time for a moment and appreciate the little things. These things and moments are timeless, helping us capture happy moments that we might have just let slip away. Celebrate yourself, your hard work, the people you choose to spend your time with, and the great feelings you get to experience.

I invite you to start a Positivity Journal, I started one 2 years ago. Every night before bed, I take 2-5 minutes to write down one positive moment from my day. This allows me to sift through my day and keep that little happening as a momento to look back on and smile.

#funfact : Nail polish originated in China and was formulated with beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, and vegetable dyes.

There is a constant voice in your head. It’s telling you that you can do it. It’s telling you that you can’t do it. You want to get this done. You’re tired and don’t want to do it...it’s powerful, whatever it’s saying.

The self-talk that we allow to flow through our minds has the potential to shape how our day will go and how we live our life. I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “whether you think you can or you can’t- you’re right” (thanks, Henry Ford).

Negative thoughts like “I’m not good enough” or “I don’t know enough” place heavy limits on your capacity for accomplishments. Delete those thoughts. Instead replace it with “I am good enough” and “I have the ability to learn what I need to know“. You might not be where you want to be right now, but you have the power to change your situation.

We are amazing human beings that have the potential to change and grow. We are not fixed in any one place or position forever. Let’s change that voice in our head to positive self-talk.
I am going to crush this workout. I like to eat healthy. I have value to bring to others.
This positive self-talk might not always come easy and we might doubt ourselves sometimes, but disregard the doubts and remember that you have powerful potential to grow.

While we are all humans, we have different types of feelings- good and bad. It’s important to acknowledge these thoughts. We might not too feel great all the time. There are tough days that drain us. Exciting days that charge us up. Situations happen that we can’t control, but we can control how we react to them.
If there is something that defeats us, it’s natural to feel down about it, but what are you going to do to get yourself out of it and not let it happen again? You’re allowed to feel however you are feeling, but be strong in not letting it consume you. You deserve to uplift yourself and realize the powerful potential you have.

How many times do you have your workouts set for the week and then suddenly you find yourself unable to follow through? Life can be unexpected sometimes- things come up and plans change. I’ve been able to achieve more movement, consistent workouts, and overall feeling better when I don’t plan on taking a rest day.

My current training program is centered around full body movements, lower weights, and higher reps to keep my heart rate up, build my muscular endurance and getting lean for the upcoming months. I have also included at least 20 minutes of cardio with each workout. Some days are intense intervals on the treadmill or stair master, other days are endurance rides on the spin bike, some days my body can only handle walking.
I assume that everyday I will get some sort of activity in. Whether I’m able to get a good lift in or take a nice walk outside with a friend, I’m moving.

Take a look at your week. Schedule those gym days, make workout dates with a partner, find times when you’ll be able to walk on down time. Don’t even bother scheduling a rest day, they will happen naturally when life happens or if your body tells you to take a break.

If you find yourself in a day that you aren’t able to workout like planned:
throw in 20 jumping jacks every hour while you’re at home or work
do forearm planks and jog in place while you wait for laundry
try some reverse lunges when chatting with friends (maybe they’ll join you)
play with your pet a little extra that evening
find a yoga video on YouTube, if that’s what feels good for you
…just keep moving! It all adds up and doesn’t go to waste.

While we all have plans to stay on track and be consistent with our workouts, life has other plans for us sometimes. Don’t let yourself get off that easy and blow it off. Challenge yourself to move more throughout the day- NO MATTER WHAT.

#funfact: Hello Kitty’s name is Kitty White and she is in the third grade…forever.