Wherever I’ve lived, I have always, always found workout buddies. I’ve found people to hike with, to take group exercise classes with, and even to run 5k or 10k road races with. It goes way back – as a grade school kid, I found kids that wanted to ride bikes and play tag with me too. I’ve come to see the act of connecting with workout buddies as a crucial first step. It’s foundational. Having people that encourage exercise,...
Can movement create confidence? Can movement remedy anxiety? Can movement eradicate stress? To tell you the truth, I don’t know. What I do know is that everyone has ups and downs. Life is not always sunny. Things shake us up. Movement doesn’t change those outside “things” but it does one very significant thing to our inside state – it brings us back to the body. Anxiety, stress and low confidence happen in our heads. They are thinking....
I’d like to start this blog post by saying this: back pain is cure-able, and no one should have to live with it. If a doctor, trainer or therapist tells you the opposite, find another doctor, trainer or therapist! Your body wants you to feel good and it’s always striving for balance. Pain is a signal of imbalance and it’s your body’s way of telling you to change in some way, maybe in diet, maybe...
The affirmation of the upcoming week on our ellenbarrett.com inspiration board is: ‘I’m up for the challenge.” This is a very powerful affirmation and applies perfectly to fitness. As a trainer, whenever I hear someone say it, I get psyched. It means that individual has a winning mindset and the possibilities for her are endless. Many many people quit before they start and it has nothing to do with reality. It’s only because their self-talk snuffed out their dream...
The other day, when I was stuck in traffic, I just started to take big deep breaths. I actually put my car in park and closed my eyes and just breathed in and out slowly and mindfully through my nose. It was quite soothing actually, and I felt like it helped minimize my frustration. And then yesterday, I had carried a pretty heavy bag around on one shoulder, all day. By nightfall, I could tell...
Yes, I am getting older. Yes, I feel the societal “pressure” regarding women and aging. And yes, I have a few things to say about it! For one, I like myself. Why is that so radical? I like how I look and I like how I feel and I like what I’ve grown to be. I don’t want to go back in time and I am excited for what’s to come. I do not have media to...
I cringe at the term “self-care.” I feel like it has been turned into sort of therapy-speak, and can get a little too indulgent for my taste. Like everybody else, I love massages and bubble baths, and sleeping an extra hour and saying no to too many obligations – all are a part of self-care. However, there is way more to caring for the self than that. Caring for the self is “in everything.” It’s from what dish soap you use to how you organize your closet. Caring for...
Are you ready to move? It has dawned on me that I tend to dress for a certain kind of success? Movement success! My clothing, my shoes, my accessories – even my hair and makeup – are never too fussy so as not to sit on the floor, wrestle with my dog, or do some manual labor around the house. I look at the British royal family and all of their social committments and (sort of) feel sorry for...
One of the big blessings of this year is it has heightened my awareness of my spirit, and to be honest, I’ve become a little obsessed with strengthening it. It’s hard to put a finger on it, I mean what exactly is a strong spirit? Well to me, it equates to one thing: a deep knowing that one’s life is “on purpose.” Strong in spirit says there is a lesson to learn with every hardship. Strong in...
We had a fierce, non-stop downpour on Friday afternoon into the evening, and it stunned me. All I could do was wait it out. I woke up this morning still thinking about the intensity and drama of it all. Mother Nature really is awe-some. It got me thinking….there are things out of our control – we can’t control the weather, stop time, or force others to think in a certain way. Over the last few...
