By Guest Blogger on June 21, 2011
I’m gonna let you in on a little secret: I don’t always feel like getting on my yoga mat. Or making dinner. Or shaking it at the gym. Or … well, I think you get my point. Sometimes I am too busy, or don’t feel well or just darn don’t feel like it.
You see, I spent a long time dieting. I know a lot of people say that, but sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what I mean by that, so I’ll just spell it out. I’ve been on 65 diets in my life. (Yep, you read that right.)
As I slowly learned to check in with my body and eat intuitively, I often found myself rebelling against anything I deemed “healthy.” A lifetime of always following outside rules about how/what to eat, exercise, etc., had left me feeling more than a little jaded.
Regardless of our history, many of us share that experience of not knowing exactly when and how to listen to our bodies. When these feelings and situations come up for me, I often feel frustrated. My instinct is to be hard on myself. “Why didn’t I schedule myself better?” “Why don’t I just force myself to do it?” I continued in this pattern of mental berating for many years. Despite trying to “motivate” myself in this way, I always got the same surprising result:
Nada.
It turns out that making myself feel bad isn’t the ticket to living the life I want. (I’m sure you’re as shocked as I am!)
Now, reading it written like that, it seems so obvious: of course making myself feel bad isn’t a good idea! But, in the moment, that can be hard to remember. So here are some tools for your health-choosing toolbox (especially when you don’t feel like it):
1. Listen to your body: Some days that we’re down on ourselves for being lazy are actually days that our bodies are trying to give us legit messages, like that what we really need right now is rest or that instead of hittin’ the gym, we’d prefer a walk outside. The more we get in the habit of listening to these messages, the more we can discern what best meets our body’s need in any given moment.
2. Show yourself some love: When I think about hopping on my yoga mat or firing up my juicer as a way to show myself some lovin’, I’m way more likely to do it. I find this to be especially true when I’m engaging in something that feels good: a delicious restorative yoga pose or eating the perfect seasonal fruit.
3. Do it because: Instead of riding the “should” train – you “should” do this, you “should” do that – think of reasons you want to take your dog for a walk, cook up some veggies for dinner, or sit for even five minutes of meditation. I don’t know about you, but I always find positivity way more motivating than guilt.
4. Take a break: If I get going too far down the self-shaming route, it’s hard to come back. It can spiral out for hours or even days. Instead of getting into that trap, try sidestepping it by doing something else entirely (preferably something you love!).
5. Celebrate: Regardless of your shape, size, flexibility, athleticism, etc., you’re doing your best to live life on your own terms. And that’s always worth celebrating!
The next time you feel like the last thing you want to do is something “healthy,” try one of these tips to tune into yourself and give yourself the shout out you deserve!
Anna Guest-Jelley is the founder of Curvy Yoga, which is all about lovin’ the body you have today. Through Curvy Yoga, she offers yoga designed to fit the bodies of people of all shapes, sizes and abilities as well as messages of body positivity and meeting yourself where you are – both on and off the mat.
Photo credit: DonnaGrayson
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By Guest Blogger on May 10, 2011
By Courtney Benavides
Imagine if you only brushed your teeth twice a week. I’m quite sure those pearly whites of yours would soon become pearly yellows. And the buildup of plaque, tartar and other dental issues would certainly manifest in lightning speed. The dentist bills would pile up and your friends would run scared every time you opened your mouth. Even your dog would be afraid to give you a kiss.
However, fortunately for your dog, ever since we sprouted teeth, we have been taught to brush twice a day. I can still remember sitting in an elementary school assembly being taught how exactly to clean every nook and cranny in my mouth. Then at the end of the assembly, I was handed a big bag full of toothbrushes, stickers with big smiley faces and colorful brochures that read: “Brush every day and twice a day!”
That’s pretty good advice, isn’t it? How many times do you look at your toothbrush in the morning and wish it didn’t exist? This is because when you make self-care a regular part of your daily existence, it’s just not that big of a deal. There’s less to clean up and less motivation needing to be summoned, which means that in the long run there’s less decay.
As a personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist, I have spent the last decade observing human behavior when it comes to fitness, and it has become my mission to encourage people to approach exercise much like they do brushing their teeth. This is a hard concept for most of us. It seems that instead of being given fitness advice from an early age that encourages us with happy stickers and freebies, we’re introduced to physical activity as drudgery. In fact, how many of you were even punished in gym class by being forced to run laps or do push-ups?
But it’s never too late to change your game and erase the old messages of gym class. It’s time to give fitness its rightful place as a positive and essential part of your daily routine. Why wait until your doctor tells you that you have clogged arteries or a higher than normal body mass index (BMI)? Start now and engage in physical activity every single day, just like you do brushing your teeth!
After all my years in the field, I can say without hesitation that the people who reach their fitness goals successfully are the people who exercise every single day. With that said, I’m not talking about doing hot yoga for 400 minutes every day or running 30,000 miles before breakfast – that mindset is just as toxic as inactivity. I’m talking about balanced, effective and sustainable exercise. I’m talking about daily activity that makes you smile, makes your blood pump, makes oxygen pour into every cell, makes your skin glisten a bit and makes you feel alive.
Here are some simple tips for embarking on your daily fitness regimen:
-Be active every day for 30 minutes or more.
-Your breath should measure your intensity: If you can hold a deep conversation without breathing moderately hard, amp it up!
-Listen to your body always. If you are thirsty, drink. If you are hungry, eat. If you are tired, breathe. If you are hot, find a sprinkler.
-If you feel even the tiniest start of an injury, seek attention from a reputable chiropractor, body worker or physician right away. Putting off healing will only sabotage your progress.
-Alternate strength training, cardio and flexibility. This is my personal weekly routine:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 20 minutes cardio/20 minutes strength training/10 minutes stretching
Tuesday/Thursday: 30 minutes cardio/30 minutes to one hour of flexibility training or yoga
Saturday/Sunday: Get active outside with fun things like hiking or biking or cleaning (ha, fun?) or playing dodgeball.
Mix it up
There’s no need to do your step aerobics video from college every single day. That’s drudgery and not necessary. Go ahead and do your old videos one day and then the next day jog or walk in the park. Then the next day clean your bathtub, and do push-ups and single-leg lunges every three minutes while doing so. The next day go roller-skating. Then go to yoga. Your body likes variety and so does your mind.
Juggle your time wisely and don’t be a martyr
So, you’ve got three kids and a full-time job and a sick dog and a husband on tour with a rock band. I feel your pain. But don’t be a martyr! Set aside at least 30 minutes a day to do something active. Call a friend to watch your kids. Set the alarm 30 minutes earlier. Trust me, it can be done. Your self-care will fuel and feed your children and anyone else with whom you share the world.
Get support
Fill up a wall in your bedroom with encouraging quotes. Get a friend to join you on this journey, but make sure he/she is a positive influence. Buy some new sneakers or a new sweat-ready outfit. Fill up your MP3 player with songs that make you move and groove. Do whatever you need to do to succeed.
Stop focusing on results
Get off the scale. Throw away the tape measure. Focus on well-being and not on loss of any kind. Intend to simply be the best you. Not a different you.
Always remember that your body was built to move, just like your teeth were designed to chew. In the end, we are blessed with the inborn ability to nourish ourselves. Now all you have to do is make it a daily intention to take care of yourself in every way. Ready, set … go!
Courtney Benavides, CPT, CES, has 12 years of experience in the field of holistic fitness. She currently works at West University Wellness in Houston, Texas, where she strives to make exercise effective and sustainable. She is also a mother, a writer and a dreamer (but she’s not the only one).
Photo credit: jeyp.
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By Guest Blogger on February 22, 2011
by Stuart Watkins
Before reading this, give yourself a few breaths of stillness. Close your eyes, connect with yourself and just breathe. Feel immense gratitude for who you are, for what is flowing in your life and for exactly where you are. Just observe how healing, inspiring and refreshing it is to be still, to breathe mindfully and to be grateful. In this stillness lies an abundance of wisdom, creativity, healing, truth and inspiration.
I’m going to talk about the importance of bringing this mindfulness, this stillness, into your health and fitness plan. It’s pretty common that around the break of the New Year, people get this burst of enthusiasm to create a healthier lifestyle. I see it nearly every year with so many people. A strict new diet plan, a set workout regimen. Then, as the weeks tick by, either one’s interest slowly fades, they get burnt out or other priorities in life take over. This is a massive generalization, but I’m sure lots of people can relate.
Our approach to fitness should be sustainable and, most of all, joyful and healing. It’s all perspective, right? I find waking up on a Sunday morning, practicing yoga at the beach, having a surf or a swim and then having a raw juice really joyful, uplifting and fun, whereas to a lot of people, that’s a terrible Sunday morning. Observe how your mind reacts to the idea of healthy food and being healthily active. Observe your reaction, and if it’s negative, practice bringing a healthier, more loving response to it. It may take lots of discipline at first, but over time it will become a part of your being, as it is a natural essence of us human beings.
So many people resent exercising and resent eating healthy. Come back to stillness and your true self. Every time you interrupt those patterns you know aren’t good for you, and consciously make the choice to do something that is good for you, self-sabotaging addictions slowly fade. Our body wants to be exercised and it wants fresh, organic foods. That’s how it was built. Treat it well and feel the amazingness of life resonate through every molecule of your being.
In our society, there is so much emphasis on physical appearance, physical fitness and how much we do and achieve. If we’re not present and grateful in life, all of these “achievements” and “perfections” will never be good enough. The ego always wants more. So if you’re on a health and fitness endeavor or just trying to achieve goals in general, enjoy the journey, be present and resonate from your heart, instead of just looking toward the goal stuck in ego mind. On this beautiful journey, let yourself be still each and every day. Before and after your workouts, allow yourself to be still. Before and after work, have a moment of stillness. Even if you can only manage stillness for a few mindful breaths, practice having the loving discipline to allow yourself to be still, without watching TV, surfing the Internet, reading or fidgeting.
Now, this suggestion won’t be liked by our ego or thinking mind, so practice softening that and realize that when you allow yourself to truly rest and be still, you give your mind a chance to be refreshed, and you allow wisdom, creativity, strength and inspiration to flow through you. On a superficial level, it is when you’re resting that your muscles build tone, strength and flexibility, not while you’re exercising. It is when you rest when all the healing, opening and strengthening takes place. So have the discipline to work out with mindfulness and then enjoy these moments of rest and stillness for everything to soak into your system.
Notice, when we’re anxious about something, our breath gets shallow. When we’re filled with joy and love, we soak up big, rich breaths. It’s a natural reaction. Tune into this during your day and observe how your breath is flowing. Do this without being paranoid; simply, compassionately observe. See how much more authenticity, presence, loving resonance and joy shines through your day when you’re in tune with your breath and presence. Not only that, but your immune system will be stronger, your mental state will be fresher and the body just runs so much smoother. It’s a truly beautiful thing!
With this presence, daily tasks will seem easier and possibly even fun. You will recover better from exercise and be able to keep healthy exercise as a part of your life forever. You’ll bring more enthusiasm and productivity to living an amazing life. You’ll notice more loving energy in your relationships.
So many answers lie within stillness. So much love lies within stillness. Our essential true self lies within stillness. Feel the amazing gifts of the universe flow through you, just from simply being still and allowing.
Stuart Watkins is a holistic fitness and lifestyle coach based out of Australia. Stuart’s love for travel and new knowledge has taken him all around the world, while achieving certifications as a Holistic Fitness Practitioner, Holistic Life Coach, Yoga Teacher, Personal Trainer, Massage Therapist and Stress Management Specialist. He draws on his knowledge in these areas to ensure each of his clients journey to true health and happiness is in good hands.
Photo credit: San Diego Shooter
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By Kris Carr on November 18, 2010
Notice anything different? We hope you love our new look (especially our unicorn mascot)! We’ve done some major re-organization so that its easier for you to access all the juicy knowledge and fun here at Crazy Sexy Life. Cruise around, click on all the pretty new buttons and tabs and let us know what you think in the comments section!
Thigh Master Priestess,
If you saw my Vlog last week then you know that I’m designing and implementing a beaucoup fabulous exercise game plan. Since my visit to The Block Center where I fell in LOVE with my new integrative wellness team, I’ve been busy putting a slew of their genius recommendations in place.
Number one on my list: Sweating. However, in my excitement over all things bionic (building a better, stronger, faster and healthier moi), I sorta created some topsy turvy confusion over aerobic endurance training vs. recovery training. I was just so dang excited! According to Dr. Block, endurance training means to train your body to endure. Our goal: 30 to 60 minutes of aerobics 5 to 6 times per week! The short 3-minute intensive aerobics bursts that I mentioned is what he calls “recovery aerobics”.
Here’s a portion of the note he sent me, I hope this clarifies it: “Essentially I want you to train your body to do these intensive short bursts of fitness and then recover. It is the recovery, the return to your pre-session pulse and ease, which has such an impact on everyone’s longevity. The quicker you recover, the better you will be able to handle any physical, chemical or emotional stress. Get it?”
YES! I get it and love it.
So here’s my goal. Gulp, putting it out there makes it scary and un-blow-it-off-able:
-Endurance training aerobics (30-60 minutes): 5-6 times per week
-Recovery aerobics (short, fun 3 minute blasts): 2-3 times per day
-Strength training: 3 times per week
-Stretching daily – of course I gotta throw my yoga in there, a girl’s gotta om!
Join me and join our fit club. Wouldn’t it be awesome to jump-start it now? Why wait for New Years resolutions? Today is the best day EVER! Do you have to hit it hard all at once? Heck-to-the-no! Lean into it. Focus, commit and follow through as you up your game. Turn those noodles into Madonna arms (ok, maybe that’s a little much), tighten that tushie, slim those thighs, and build the strength of a stallion inside and out. Exercise boosts your immune system, your metabolism, reduces stress, floods your God pod with happy mood lube, helps your snooze and shines your eyeballs. Here’s what I love…
I love bike riding. Especially when my tush is unicorn powered. My bestie Rory Freedman gave me this hot seat cover created by madebyjulianne.com. Don’t ya love it? Thanks, Rory!
I love yoga! I really, really love yoga. Om shanti baby!
I love jumping rope and pretending I’m Sylvester Stallone.
I love free weights (ok, I lie about that too).
I love dancing, especially to Prince.
I love band work. And bands are super easy to pack.
I love hula, even though I suck. But the more I practice the less I suck.
I love jumping on my rebounder. FYI: Led Zeppelin makes me jump a little too high.
I love jumping jacks, great for hotel rooms. Jumping jacks make me feel very military chic. I chant, “Make juice not war”. I guess I meant anti-military chic.
I love running…um, no I don’t, I love power walking. But this guy loves running!
I love you…
What kinds of exercise do you love? Will you kick it up a notch with me? Pinky swear!
Peace and legwarmers,
Kris Carr
Photo Credits: Jumping Rope, Hula Hoop, Jumping Jacks
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By Guest Blogger on February 4, 2010
Hyla Ridenour
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Although I still have many miles to travel on my journey, I have to marvel at how far I have come. It was not long ago that I took frequent trips to the McDonalds’ drive-thru where I would order a “number two” off the menu (a two cheeseburger meal complete with a medium size fry and soda). I did not have a problem eating both cheeseburgers, the fries, or the drink, and would often “supersize” my meal, followed by a cigarette or two.
Several years later, I ditched the smokes and became interested in health and fitness, particularly bodybuilding. The chiseled, lean bodies I saw in fitness magazines became obsessions, and I gave up the McDonalds, opting for oatmeal, egg whites, chicken breasts, tuna (straight from a can – eek!), and whey protein shakes. While my body became leaner, I did not necessarily feel healthy. Although I exercised often and ate what I thought was a healthy diet, I was seriously disconnected from what I was putting into my body. The bodybuilding gave me confidence, and one of my proudest moments was stepping on stage in a bodybuilding competition one year after my youngest was born. However, after a few years of the high protein regime, I was literally “chickened-out.” In fall 2006, I gave up meat completely, cold turkey, just weeks before Thanksgiving, and my daughter told me I was a disgrace to the holiday. That is when the real journey began.
Today, I am a gluten-free vegan with many of my meals being high raw or living, depending on the season and my budget. I traded in whey protein shakes for spinach smoothies, and instead of endless hours in the gym or running several miles, I practice yoga, nearly exclusively. In fact, I am currently working toward becoming a registered yoga teacher at the 200-hour level. Yoga has changed my life, and I can’t wait to share it with others.
Personally, I do not suffer from a chronic disease or illness, but my mission is to create a healthy body and to live each day to the fullest. My new lifestyle is a kinder, gentler approach to caring for myself. I have spent most of my adult life being too hard on my body, from unhealthy behavior and dietary habits to obsessive control around eating a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat each day. In truth, I was seeking the illusion of perfection. Through this process, I have learned that perfection does not exist, and I do not want to be perfect (boring). It is an ever changing and evolving process.
As I write this, beginning a new year, I recount previous New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, get fit, and be leaner. 2010 is the first year that I have not “resolved” to be anything or anyone different than who I am, where I am, in this current space in time. It has taken me years to get to this point, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Take one step at a time, and make one change at a time. One step leads to another, and you will look back at all of the miles you have covered, just as I have. All you have to do is vow to love yourself for who you are and let your health and wellbeing be the ultimate result of self love.
Hyla Ridenour is living a fulfilled life just outside of Portland, Oregon with her husband and two fantastic children. She enjoys yoga, cooking vegan and raw meals, chillaxin’ on the couch with her family and making the most of each and every moment.
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