Melt Wellness

AT HOME TRAINING AVAILABLE 💪🏠

Did you know that I offer personal training in the convenience of your own home? I provide the equipment and expertise necessary to get you closer to your fitness goals 🙌

Currently available to 7 Mile and West Bay residents. Message me for details!

Stop RESTRICTING 🍕🥞🍟🍰🍫🍩

Start INCLUDING 🥦🥭🥑🍉🥬🥔🥕🫐🍌

Restricting foods is not sustainable and to be honest, it can really take away from a lot of the fun that life has to offer.

Instead, focus on including more whole foods in your diet!

See what I mean ⬇️

How many times have you thought to yourself:

“I’m going to exercise today.”

Only to be met with that voice inside your head that says:

“It’s been a long day at work, I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“I’m just not feeling very motivated today.”

“I don’t have enough time to complete my hour long workout today so better skip it until I do.”

This voice in your head is working against you. It’s part of you but it’s not YOU. It’s time to change the narrative that you are in any way incapable of accomplishing what you set your mind to.

When you hear this voice trying to talk you out of achieving your goals, try talking back:

“Yes, it’s been a long day at work, but I know working out is going to make me feel good and I’ll be glad I did it.”

“I’m not always going to feel motivated to work out. I need to remember why I am choosing to exercise in the first place and always choose self-discipline over motivation.”

“I’m short on time today but I do have 20 minutes where I can fit in some movement. Something is better than nothing.”

We all have this voice, but once you are conscious of it, you can put it in its place, gain your power back, and do what you set out to do.

What does your voice say to you and how do you answer back?

FITNESS COACH - MONTANA ESCALANTE

Hey there 👋

My name is Montana and I’m a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach here in Grand Cayman.

I love helping people transform by using a well-rounded approach to fitness and wellness that focuses on creating healthy habits for life. I like to emphasize building strength and confidence in the gym, and establishing a healthy relationship with food and exercise.

Finding a way of eating and exercising that not only helps you reach your goals, but is sustainable, can be challenging to say the least. As your coach, I’m here to eliminate the guess work and set you up for long-term success.

Swipe to see what clients have to say about their experience ➡️

DM me or email me at [email protected] to set up a free consultation now 💪

Training out of 📍

This has become my favorite every day warm up / mobility routine. Saw this on first and wanted to share it with you all, as I do with all my clients. It only takes 5 minutes and gets every part of your body mobilized and ready for work 💪

Cat Cows - 30 seconds or so to get the upper and lower back loosened up and moving.

Thread the Needle - about 5 reps on each side can get that spine rotation feeling loose. Take your time with each rep and really push into each range of motion to get the most out of this movement.

Adductor Rock Backs - 30 seconds on each side will get those adductors (the muscles on the inside of your thighs) loosened up and hips opening.

Inchworms - less than a minute of these will get the hamstrings loosened up on your way down, and your core and arms warmed up on your walk out to plank.

Deep Squat - 30 seconds in this position will have your legs and hips ready for a wide range of motion. If it feels uncomfortable sitting in this position, try bringing your hips up while keeping your hands by your feet to stretch the hamstrings and going back into a squat a few times.

Try this as a warm up or even in the morning when you get out of bed and let me know how it makes you feel!

Seems like the flu is still going around 🤒 Here are some tips for returning to exercise after being sick 💪 Keep in mind - if you are recovering from serious illness, do not return to exercise until you get the all clear from your doctor 🙂

- Start light. Keeping it simple with mobility, body weight, and low resistance movements will get your body back into the groove of moving without putting too much stress on it. Going for a walk outdoors can be a good start🚶‍♂️☀️

- Don’t push through exhaustion. You may feel out of energy sooner than you’re used to during your workout. This can be accompanied by feeling out of breath, light headed, and physically spent. Accept when it’s time to stop the workout. ✋

- Drink plenty of water. This is always a given, but especially important if you’ve been ill. Hydrate hydrate hydrate 💦

- Listen to your body. This is the most important thing. Do not worry about losing progress when feeling sick is keeping you from working out. Rest, take the time to recover properly, ease back into exercise, and your body will thank you. You’ll wake up one day with your energy back and you can get back into your routine then, feeling a renewed sense of strength 🙌

Stay well everyone! 💛 If I missed any tips you think may be helpful, leave a comment down below 👇

A quick workout is better than no workout ☝️

Many of us have said it - “I just don’t have time to work out.”

Life gets busy and sometimes it feels difficult setting aside time for yourself, but the fact is, you do not have to commit an hour of your day to exercise.

A 15 minute workout a few days a week is something everyone can make time for and it makes staying consistent that much easier.

One round of this took me 15 minutes, but you can do it twice or even three times 😉

You got this 💪

Squats x 15
Reverse Lunges x 15/15
Knee Push-Ups x 10
Deadlifts x 15
Glute Bridges x 20
Single Arm Rows x 12/12

The most grueling, soul crushing, high intensity workouts are often the most celebrated and thought of as the most effective. Why is that? We’ve been taught that the purpose of exercise is to burn calories, burn fat, work off that meal you had, and push yourself to the breaking point… “no pain no gain” as they say 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think we’ve got it all wrong.

Slow and intentional movement is underrated. With basic exercises and correct form, strength training is the best way to shift body composition and will also be easier on your joints in the long run. You can even finish your workout feeling more energized than when you started. Imagine that 😌

Keep this in mind - high intensity exercises are great for increasing power, speed, agility, endurance, cardio respiratory health, and are a great addition to strength training workouts to see those benefits ☝️ And if you enjoy a good HIIT session, then go for it! But don’t force yourself into this way of exercising because you think you have to, or because you think it’s the most “effective.”

What is most effective will depend on your goals and most importantly, what you’re more likely to stick to.

It’s not about intensity, it’s about consistency 🔑

A coach can be fundamental in getting started on a good fitness routine - one that will set you up for real, sustainable success 💪

Reach out to me for a consult and let’s get you on the right track 🖤

Wellness is not just diet and exercise. It is mental health, first and foremost. Feelings of overwhelm can be due to stress at work, relationship issues, traumatic experiences, financial worries, health problems, and much more.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it is important to:

- understand where the feelings are coming from and accept them. Acknowledge that you are feeling overwhelmed and do not guilt or shame yourself for that fact.

- practice mindfulness / be present. Focus on the here and now. Meditation or movement are great ways to practice mindfulness.

- try breathing exercises. 5-10 minutes of deep, purposeful breathing has been shown to reduce stress.

- accept the things that are out of your hands and focus on the things that you can control.

- take a break to prioritize self-care. Go watch the sunset, take a hot bath, get some stretching/movement in during your work day.

- intentionally make time for what you love. Spending time with friends, pursuing your hobbies, and listening to music, to name a few.

- if you feel like you’ve tried everything and you’re still feeling overwhelmed, consider speaking to a professional.

Sometimes, when I'm feeling overwhelmed, I take time off from exercise so that I can focus on slowing down, being gentle with myself, recharging, and trusting in myself and the process.

What do you like to do when feeling overwhelmed?

The fitness industry needs to change… and yes, I’m a personal trainer. Hear me out.

I love what I do. I love coaching people and helping them reach a healthier and more confident version of themselves. But being a part of the fitness industry, both personally and professionally, I’ve realized that beneath the positive concepts it puts forth, there’s toxicity and confusion. Coupled with social media, it’s a recipe for disaster, leading to self deprecating thoughts and self talk, constant comparison to others, body dysmorphia, and so many other unfortunate and dangerous outcomes.

Lately, this is what the narrative has been for women: Be thin, but shapely. Have a big butt and a small waist. Look “toned” but don’t put on too much muscle or you’ll look “bulky”. Get rid of your cellulite. Get rid of your tummy rolls. Eat cleaner. Look leaner. The list goes on and on.

For men - Be strong. Have big muscles. Lift heavy or you’re doing it wrong. Don’t perform glute isolating exercises, those are for girls. No pain, no gain.

And if you don’t find the time to make all of this happen? Well, you’re just not disciplined enough. …Please, let this sink into your very soul when I say THIS IS NOT TRUTH.

This is not the definition of fitness, health, or beauty. We’ll speak more on this later. Trust me, I have a lot to say.

But what I want to say right now is that the narrative of what fitness is needs to change. We need to focus more on the process and less on the results. More on how it makes us feel and less on how it makes us look. More on becoming the best version of ourselves each and every day and less on chasing an aesthetic that we’ve seen online and have been told is the epitome of health, beauty, and fitness.

It’s good to have goals. If you’re looking to improve a certain muscle group or skill set, or shift your body composition, that’s great too. But let’s celebrate where you’re at today, at this very moment, and recognize that you are worthy, beautiful, strong, and powerful. This fact has nothing to do with your body. Remember that.

It’s time to start using exercise as a tool - for self-empowerment, for better health, and for a longer life. You deserve it.

Decide today.

Make the choice to create daily habits that get you closer to your goals. Choose to make a difference that is positive!

Not sure where to start? Send me a DM and we’ll work on it together 💪