When you Just Can't.

When was the last time you threw in the towel and said, "I Just CAN'T anymore"?

I can't do my workout today...my body is too tired/painful/beat up.
I can't even begin to think about what to cook for dinner...I'm so sick of it all.
I can't imagine having the time to do what I really want to do...there's always so much on my plate.

Well, there's a time to be a hero and push yourself to get off your tush and keep pushing.

Then there's a time to listen to your body and actually do what it is telling you to do. 

I've helped my clients to listen more, and you can learn too.

This may sound foreign to some of you, but your body is a well-spring of amazing information when you tune into it.

I have been reading Amy Myers book the Auto-Immune Protocol this summer and she reminded me of just how incredible the communication systems in our bodies really are.

For instance, when you eat you send a signal that tells certain hormones like insulin to be released to help direct your food where it needs to go.  You also set off triggers for your immune system in your body when foreign invaders sneak in.  Too much of the wrong foods can even send your immune system into a frenzy when your body identifies the food as a foreign object.  When you are over-tired your body tells your adrenals to work overtime to pump you up with cortisol and epinephrin.

These days I witness the miracle of the communication system in my body multiple times a day when breastfeeding.  Literally all I have to do is take 3 deep calming breaths, close my eyes, imagine a water fall and my milk lets down.  This is so crazy cool.

What I've learned is that it is best not to mess with your body's wisdom and to LISTEN.

Our problem is we get too caught up in expectations, should's, and ought to's- especially when it comes to exercise.

So how do you know what to do when you are on the fence about exercise?

Of course there are those days when you don't feel like working out, but in the end you know movement would help. 

How can you discern what to do to honor your body and still get in some soul sweat?

I developed a simple questionnaire you can use, particularly if you struggle with chronic illness, fatigue, or auto-immune issues.  And it's exactly what I use to hep my clients with their discernment too.

Movement might be the furthest thing from you mind, but as I witness my husband and his journey with Hashimotos and my own history with depression, movement nearly always gives us back our glow when we choose things that light us up.  Movement can come in so many different forms.  Use the questionnaire to help you know what's appropriate for you today.

If you know someone with hashimotos, infertility, lupus, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, or other chronic illness...especially if their heart is to become a better mother, please forward this message to them.  I love serving wannabe moms and moms who are struggling to help them overcome the overwhelm and gain strength and soul through their journey.  

Wishing you holy, healthy, healing,

Nicole

P.S. I am about to launch my online Strength and Soul program and I cannot wait to reveal how this program will give moms in the making hope, strength, and stamina to help them be the mom they dream of rather than feeling tired, neglected, and overwhelmed.  Stay tuned!

New Research for Food and Fitness Timing

My mother in law raised 8 children on little to no money and with very little support.  When we go to visit Iowa, it's a wonderful time to unplug and relax a little as the world seems to keep spinning vehemently around us.  This last trip, she said something that will stick with me forever...

"I was busy once too".  

As I raise my own children (now 2 and a half...eek!!) and consider how time means nothing to them, and how they drift through each day running and jumping and exploring, I am reminded of what she said.  Life is much more calm at the beginning and the end.  And there is so much of our story to be LIVED in between.  I like what Socrates said: "Beware the barrenness of a busy life."

I, for one, am very aware at how much the pace of my life can drag me down. I'll bet you feel it too.  So how can we use the latest research to make the most of the time we spend focusing on our health so we have more energy and time for the things that make our lives rich and meaningful?

Here's two new tips:
1) Have a little something to eat an hour or two before your workout.
2) Go by feel for your rest days and instead of hanging on the couch, choose some active recovery.

Want more of the juicy details on these tips for how and why?  Well, a recent study in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that people who were on a treadmill for 36 minutes, who ate breakfast beforehand, burned fat at a significantly higher rate for as long as 24 hours compared with those who ate post-workout, even though both groups consumed the same total calories per day. Also, a recent report in the Strength and Conditioning Journal proved you won't be able to go as intensely or burn as many calories, and you'll also lose more muscle if you workout without pre-fueling.  What's the best thing to eat pre-workout? Try these 150 calorie or so ideas: A banana with about a half to whole tablespoon of peanut or almond butter or a half a cup of yogurt with a quarter cup of granola.

Finally, rest really is important.  Our muscles re-build, we replenish our energy reserves, build bone mass, and restore connective tissue during our rest days. A recent study out of Brazil showed that beginners who completed four sets of 10 reps of bicep curls needed over 3 days of rest to recover. When you overwork a muscle that is not fully recovered you could be compromising your results and risk injuring yourself.  However, it is still important to keep moving even on recovery days.  Choose something low key like lower intensity walking, cycling, swimming or a dance class.  Research from the National Cancer Institute discovered that even for those who work up a sweat on a regular basis, the longer they sit around, the higher their risk for an earlier death.  Plus, the added bonus is you will burn more calories and elevate your mood.  What better way to make the most of our "busy" lives!

How to Create Confidence From a Body That Works

Join us April 29th from 7-8:30 to learn more about how Restoration Fitness is supporting amazing moms who give so much to others that their health and self-care has fallen off the priority list in their own lives. We know the feeling of neglect and guilt all too well and how it can completely sabotage your life.  As  moms and business owners, we know what it is like to feel overwhelmed by all we have to do and how challenging it can feel to get control of  time so we can prepare healthy meals and snacks, get in workouts, get rest, and still have a little brain space to grant self-compassion in our lives for what we know we "aren't doing".

We will share what we are learning and how we have created a program that gives moms out-of-this-world accountability, education, and support to help them gain control, confidence, and the energy to be the proud and excited women they want to be!  We will have snacks and a glass of wine too!!

Fitness Beyond Definition

As many of you know, I have been an avid runner since the age of 13. In fact, I can’t remember ever feeling particularly out of shape since I first started running. So it’s not surprising that I recently told someone that I haven't been this out of shape since I was 12. After laying low to try to get pregnant, and then the restricted activity while pregnant, and then the recovery time, I have gradually turned to mush. This is a tough reality to swallow for a girl whose life work is all about healthy fitness. The bright side is that I have two beautiful and amazing little boy munchkins that are a great trade off, I get to empathize with my clients a little more, and I get to redefine what fitness means for me. Fitness and being “in shape” comes in all shapes and sizes. I have always known there were different varieties and levels of being fit because even within my own beloved sport, I was a distance girl, and didn’t train to sprint. I also played basketball, but put a softball in my hands and I was all thumbs. Which is to say, what does being in shape mean to us? Is it all about aesthetics, the ability to participate in particular sports, the way our fitness levels our stress, or how we improve our life expectancy?

Ideally, fitness is a multicolor coat that can change and evolve and become what we need it to be. In order to birth my two little boys, I needed to be fit mentally, emotionally, and to have a huge sense of calm and endurance in my body. Still, I long for that runner’s high after a long day on the path. But now that I am a mom, I am forever trying to squeeze one more minute out of my day, and one more ounce of energy to put toward my workouts. If I do get the chance to workout, it feels completely different, and it is definitely much harder than it used to be!

To keep my motivation up, I recently stumbled across some winning fitness blogs that were ranked by Fitness Magazine and its readers earlier this year. Their “Fitterati” blogger awards are broken into great categories like best healthy living blog, best running blog, or best nutrition blog. My favorite so far is MizFit and The Body of a Mother. But don’t take my word for it, check out the list and see if one of these bloggers catches your eye. Or, just keep reading here…I am passing on all I learn to you every day!