My Two-Cents

There are several health and fitness related questions I get asked repeatedly. Some of them, I’ve been asked about since day one of being a fit pro. Some of them, have popped up only recently. Here they are along with a quick answer: 

Is there an energy bar you recommend?
I’m not a fan of 99.9percent of them. I try to avoid packaged food, and energy bars are packaged food. However, if I have to pick one, I’d choose Lara Bars. They are decent, don’t break the bank, and are not filled with chemicals.  

What are your thoughts on sports drinks? 
I’m not a fan. Thumbs down. Gatorade is gross. If you are looking for an alternative to water, do coconut water.

Are you protein obsessed?
Not at all. I’m hydration obsessed. If we eat whole, natural foods, we’ll get plenty of protein. (*This is a new question – 5years ago nobody was asking about protein, and 20years ago protein wasn’t a household word.)

What is your #1 diet tip? 
Sit down when you eat.

Is 10minutes of exercise enough? 
Enough for what? It is enough to create a shift in energy and lift one’s mood.

Is yoga or Pilates better? 
Someone asked Willie Nelson what kind of music he liked..country, pop, classical, etc, and he said good music. As you get deeper into movement, you’ll find fitness genres become less and less important. The real question is, “What’s good for me today?”

What’s something you know now that you wish you knew in your twenties? 
So much! I wish I knew not to use aluminum deodorant. I wish I knew that teaching late at night irritated my nervous system and made me sick. I wish I was knew enough to turn off the freezing cold A/C in the fitness space, because it was bad for our muscles. I wish I knew women’s workouts need to ebb and flow along with our cycles. I wish I knew how to breathe right…I could go on. At least now, I know.  

I did know, early on, a few major things though: 1. I knew about going barefoot. I knew our feet needed stay connected to the rest of the body. The yoga adage,so goes the feet, so goes the body, always always resonated. 2. I knew exercise is one of the greatest self-help tools, always at our disposal. 3. I knew exercise is a privilege. My mindset has always been, “Wow, how lucky am I that I get to go to this studio and spend my free time here?”

Ultimately, staying empowered means being your own guru, an empowered wellness is figuring out what’s best for you and doing it. This info is just my two-cents. If something makes sense, great! Take it and run with it. If not, forget about it! Now, speaking of running…Let’s Move!