At Fit + Strong HQ, the month of March is dedicated to mobility, and this week's episode starts with a tool I covet: the foam roller.

Some of you may know that in October I over-trained and hurt my back.  I was in chronic pain and trying to teach classes in pain is the WORST. So I decided I was going to do something about it .

For the month of December I committed to stretching 20 minutes every day. It helped loosen my body more than I ever thought  possible in 30 days. It was so amazing!

This experience really changed the importance that I place on mobility (of the joints) and flexibility (of the muscles). As a fitness professional, instructor, and trainer for the last 16 years I've preached to clients, "flexibility is so important, mobility is so powerful, don't you dare skip it!"

Now that I'm in my mid-forties, it's not just important. It's VITAL to my health. Mobility and flexibility have become a higher priority for me now than ever before.

That's why we are doing 'March Mobi...

Ever had a day when you’re Just. Not. feeling. It? I can vouch for having more than one of them in the past. I can confidently say that I will have them in the future too. 

Since we all agree that this is part of living #fitandstrong, let’s talk about my three best tools to get workout-inspired when you’d really rather choose your couch over your gym bag.

1. Do what you love

When you find yourself stretched thin and reaching for inspiration, give yourself permission to visit the first activity that brought you exercise joy. Today is not the day for a workout you’ve never tried or one you put in the ‘this is hard as shit!’ category.  

If you don’t like lifting weights or running, don’t do them on a low-inspiration day (even if they are in your calendar). Assuming that your workout needs to be pumping iron or jogging will only limit you from finding true joy today. 

Maybe you need to take a walk today, or attend your favorite yoga class that you haven’t been to in a million years....

What do Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo and Albert Einstein all have in common?

Each of them kept a journal to record their thoughts, experiences, ideas, and feelings. Frida even used her journal to sketch out ideas for her paintings before putting a single drop of paint on canvas.

Keeping a journal can be a HUGELY beneficial self-care practice for everyone - not only for thoughtful artists or pioneers in science and quantum mechanics! In fact, journaling can help us stay accountable with our goals & intentions, track progress and growth, and even help us gain self-confidence. 

Yes, I’ll take another helping of those benefits, please. Make it a double-heap while you’re at it…

BONUS TOOL: HERE’S YOUR FIT + STRONG HOMEWORK
This weekend, go get a journal.  It can be as fancy (Franklin Covey Planner) or simple (1 subject spiral notebook) as you'd like. When we journal daily we identify our bad habits so we can re-create them into good ones for lasting change.

Next week use your new journal to...

Have you ever wished you could snap your fingers and a good workout magically appeared in front of you?

All I can say is...ABRACADABRA!

If you’ve ever struggled with feeling blocked-off from feeling fit & strong because you want EXACT steps to follow for a dynamite workout, you won’t want to miss this week's 'Build Your Fit + Strong Toolbox' episode.

I’m giving you a treadmill H.I.I.T. workout you can download and save to as a go-to workout. This way you'll never be without fitness + strength ever again.

I hope you enjoy doing it as much as I enjoyed making it for you!

 xoxo,

 DeAnne

DOWNLOAD THIS WORKOUT HERE!

Part of my Fit + Strong journey has been re-training myself to drink water. I used to tell myself “I hate water!” and that put me in a tricky spot more times than I care to admit. 

The hundred (millionth!) time I found myself chugging my full bottle of water after my workout, I realized I had created a really unhealthy pattern for myself. I was dehydrated and nauseated and headachy. And my mouth felt as dry as the Kalahari desert. 

I looked at my water bottle that I’d carried around ALL day and never taken a sip of. That’s when I decided to experiment on myself and figure out how to get myself to drink water throughout the day (instead of lugging a sealed bottle around like an accessory).

And HOT DAMN! I discovered this > > the bottle makes all the difference.

That’s why I’m EXTRA psyched to talk water bottles with you on this week’s Build Your Fit + Strong Toolbox.

If you’ve ever felt your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth during your workouts, or feel constantly frustrated...

Quick question-  what's your first thought upon waking in the morning?
If it's 'Ugh, I need more sleep,' then you're in the right place.

Since most us don't get the recommended minimum seven hours of sleep per night, I say we take control of the sleep that we DO get to make it the highest quality possible. In this week's episode of 'Build Your Fit + Strong Toolbox' I'm sharing three tools that can help strengthen your slumber by designing a fitter environment  for superb sleep. 

Healthy sleep habits can make a big difference in our quality of life. We live #fitandstrong, and we sleep that way too!

Here's to sleeping solid tonight (and every night after),

DeAnne

Nobody likes walking into the staff lounge to heat up their healthy lunch and feeling tempted by an overflowing table laden with sugary snacks and treats. Believe me, I've been there, and it's really tough to rely on willpower to navigate through this sticky situation (yes, pun intended!). 

Today's 'Build Your Fit & Strong Toolbox' tool shows you how to use the power of your network to stay fit + strong when faced with potentially destructive situations involving oodles and oodles of highly-processed foods.

xoxo!

DeAnne

P.S. I have a nutrition FREEBIE for you!
It's called 'Inside My Toolbox: Kick Ass Abs in 3 Simple Steps.'
You can get yours here > > > I want kick ass abs!

This time of year I see lots of new faces and old friends returning to the gym. It gets me really excited for them because I KNOW how empowering working out can be for them. I know there's a magical transformation about to happen.

Then I watch them beeline straight to a treadmill and run for 30 minutes, get off and leave. The next day is the same, and the day after that too. 

On the flip side, I also see people limit their workouts to strength training only. They never elevate their heart rates into a zone that provides a benefit to their cardio-respiratory fitness. 

In today's episode of 'Build Your Fit & Strong Toolbox' I'm sharing my perspective on each sides of this workout coin and giving you my recommendation for the BEST way to spend your time when you work out. Will it be cardio or strength? 

Watch and learn!

P.S. If you haven't already gotten yours, I have a FREEBIE for you! It's called 'Inside My Toolbox: Kick Ass Abs in 3 Simple Steps.' You can get yours for free (no co...

I’ve been making New Year’s Resolutions for as long as I can remember.  How about you?

I used to think I was one step ahead of the game because I took the time to thoughtfully write out my annual resolutions every December. But last year when I sat down to re-script the SAME resolutions from the year before, a loud whistle went off inside my head.

My mind’s referee threw multiple penalty flags (Flag! this is an ineffective tool, Flag! you’re wasting your time, Flag! this feels bad). This is the inspiration behind the tool we’re talking about today.

The reality: building a Fit & Strong lifestyle is nothing like writing New Year’s resolutions. 

In fact, building my F&S lifestyle has more to do with EVOLUTION than RESOLUTION. It’s reminded me just how important it is to embody the mindset of relaxation and alignment and remember that I’m a lifelong student here!

The original plan was to get Fit & Strong WAY earlier (oh to be young!) but I got stuck. I had to press pause. I couldn’t move forwar...

Last week I invited you to join me in the *free* 12 Days of #fitandstrong Fitmas Challenge. 

So this week i thought it would be fun to give you my progress report. 

Today is Day 6 (of 12), inchworms and high knees.

I put together this quick & effective workout challenge to keep us active and moving over the holidays of 2019, and so far it's doing it's job quite well for me  

There's absolutely NO equipment (except a step or other platform) and so far,  I've been able to do the exercises pretty much anywhere.  Plus, each daily workout has taken less than 20 minutes. Some as short as 5 mins total!

EVEN BETTER … it’s really nice to have a little something to do while on vacation. I am feeling SO GOOD about completing each day of this challenge as I enter the New Year!

I have more energy, I'm sleeping great, and am moving better than previous holiday vacations.  AND I won’t have to make up for any lost ground in my fitness & strength when I return to normally scheduled programming (h...