Let’s use our imagination, and I’ll tell you a story about two sisters.

They share many things in common – DNA, childhood experiences, basic values, etc.

But they couldn’t be more different when it comes to fitness.

One is a super-fit competitive athlete.

The other wants to be “fit,” but she doesn’t prioritize it and either looks for the magic bullet diet/ supplement or fills up her free time with busy work or doom scrolling.

Seriously! And I’m trying not to judge here, but bear with me. Here’s the point. Here’s the difference between them.

It’s how they relate to their own fitness to their families.

The athletic sister decided when her kids were young that she needed to stay strong and fit while raising them and, seeking a hobby for herself, she took up triathlons. She was devoted to her kids, but she craved time to herself and made it a priority – and she needed the energy to keep up with being a mom. Her kids and husband realize this is important and the activities she does is normalized.

The OTHER sister, though? Well, even before she had kids, she never really committed to her health and fitness. She would dabble in routines and healthy eating, but she was scared to really try, preferring to do what was comfortable. When the kids came, she was always “too busy” with their activities to do anything for herself. Sure, she was tired all the time, but who wouldn’t be!

I bet you know people like this. Heck, we are ALL people like this at some point or another.

Here’s why: We make decisions about how to live every day.

• We decide whether we will be healthy, fit and happy – or not.
• We decide whether our family commitments are excuses to keep us from being fit – or not.
• We decide whether we want to prioritize our own health and wellbeing – or not.

So, you can not address your fears and challenges or blame your family and carry that handy excuse for decades like the one sister did.

Or you can proudly stand up for yourself, invest in your health for yourself AND FOR THEM, and do your best to live a healthy lifestyle. To be around longer. To be more present with them every day.

Working out should be viewed as a platform for a better life. Sure, you feel strong, mobile, and balanced, but it’s how you can show up in your life and be there for your friends, family, and community. You are setting an example of what life could be, and know that you are not leaving it to others to take care of you.

I hope you choose to get fit FOR your family, so you can be a positive example and have confidence that they won’t have to take care of you as you get older.

If you are already being that shining light of taking care of yourself but are looking for the best way to do it, check out this free report on “Moving better, reducing pain and living life on your terms. The 4 steps to break the cycle and keep it.”

Click the image below to claim your free report.

It’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

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Have you ever been sick with the flu and found yourself feeling mopey and sad, maybe even sobbing?

Sure – we’ve all been physically sick enough to suffer emotionally, as well.

But we’re not always as quick to understand that the phenomenon works both ways. Sometimes we can feel so bad emotionally that it causes physical pain, too. 

The mind-body connection is real. ‼️

It is powerful. And it can knock you down – literally – if you’re not in tune with what you’re feeling.

The experience historically has been called “psychogenic pain,” and it occurs when emotional, psychological or behavioral problems lead to physical symptoms.

Consider how it can be easy to go from “feeling sad” to “being depressed,” which is an actual physical malady that can make you have tiredness, soreness, and headaches.

Or how suppressing anger leads to tension and high blood pressure.

It’s a similar concept with feeling anxious or ashamed. If you’re up worrying all night, your body and brain suffer from the lack of sleep.

The term “psychogenic” is somewhat outdated because it means “produced in the mind” and experts realize that there can be a negative association with that – like, “Just get over it if it’s all in your head.” (NOT helpful!)

But this pain is real, no matter what anyone says. 

This is demonstrated physiologically via your sympathetic nervous system and the fact that they run on the front of your spine.😱

So if you are stressed out, fearful, angry etc it is going to light up that sympathetic chain, and you will have physiological issues at your weakest link. Maybe its :

👉🏽 A headache

👉🏽 Or heart palpitations

👉🏽 Or digestive issues

👉🏽 A problem with elimination

👉🏽 Or an issue with Libido

Any (or more) of those areas will have physiological issues because of your emotional stress.

Understand your mind and body, and don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it.

Please be kind to yourself and practice self-care about the mind-body connection. Exercise. Meditate. Talk with a therapist about your feelings for help processing your emotions. See a qualified physical type therapist that can view your issues holistically. 

Pain is pain. Don’t let it hold you down.

It’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

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It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by what’s happening in the world and your life, by all the people you encounter, and by all the stuff happening around you.

You can really lose yourself sometimes. And not being aware of yourself and how you operate is a surefire way to self-sabotage yourself with any challenging task. 100% guaranteed.

But a strong self-awareness keeps you grounded with a healthy perspective. It keeps you in the right mindset to succeed and to maintain happiness. In fact, some experts say it’s one of the most important characteristics we can develop.

Simply put, self-awareness means have a good understanding of your emotions, values, patterns of behavior, and how others see you.

It means you appreciate what you bring to the table, and what others see when you get there.

And it allows you to understand what you want and then match your actions to your desires in healthy, productive ways.

Being self-aware lets you focus on what really matters, despite the hurricane of life happening around you. When you truly understand and appreciate who you are, why you do what you do, then you have clarity to see through the maelstrom to what’s important. It also lets you help other people more effectively, because you’re certain of your intentions and the effect you have (and DON’T have) on them.

how do you develop it?

True self-awareness has layers that can take a lifetime to understand. But generally speaking, here are some guidelines to get you thinking in the right direction.

👉🏽 Know what you want, based on your gut and on your values.
👉🏽 Learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself for them.
👉🏽Seek constructive criticism from well-chosen sources who can help.
👉🏽 Identify your top skills and, just as importantly, those you lack.
👉🏽Reflect daily on what you’ve done and how you feel about it. 👉🏽 Look for patterns in your words, thoughts, and actions(this is a big one).

Now, think for a moment about all of this — your healthy lifestyle goals, strengths, weaknesses, and patterns of behavior…

What do you see? Please hit reply and let me know!

It’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

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