Roots Fitness San Diego

As we reflect back on these 15 Weeks, I hope that you have been able to incorporate some new healthy habits into your routine. We need them now more than ever going into this holiday season.

Here’s a recap of each week:

Week 1- Drink More Water
Week 2- Breathe/Meditate
Week 3- Walk
Week 4- Food Intake Journal
Week 5- Eat More fruits and Veggies
Week 6- Self Love/Admiration
Week 7- Incorporate Mobility Training
Week 8- Incorporate Core Training
Week 9- Rest
Week 10- Connection
Week 11- Incorporate Balance Training
Week 12- Incorporate Agility Training
Week 13- Play
Week 14- Incorporate Strength Training
Week 15- Incorporate Stretching

Remember to always be kind to yourself and take it one day at a time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when we start anything new.

I’m gonna sign off for a couple weeks while I work on a few dance projects/performances. My work never stops, but my presence here just needs to take a short pause.

See you soon!

15 Weeks- Gentle Ease Into Healthy Habits

Week 15: Incorporate Stretching

For this last week of easing into healthy habits, I thought stretching would be a nice way to finish. After a long day of work, or a brisk walk, or even a strenuous workout, adding in some stretching is much needed.

It doesn’t always have to follow at the end of an activity but that’s usually how we think of it. Adding stretches in before activity can prepare the body for movement and weight bearing exercises on the joints and muscles. It is recommended to do more dynamic stretches on the front end and static stretches after.

Some benefits of stretching include mental clarity, increased range of motion in the joints, decreased soreness in the muscles, decreased risk of injury, better posture, better sleep, and stress relief. That’s a lot of good stuff.

I would encourage you to slow down and give your body the time and space to lengthen. Tight muscles cause imbalances in the body which can throw us off our game. Go take a yoga class or find a stretch flow circuit- there are so many to choose from.

Be careful not to overdo stretching though. Sometimes we can push too hard and that can work against us. When stretching, you shouldn’t feel pain. Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds and if you are older, even longer can be beneficial. And breathe! They go very well together.

15 Weeks- Gentle Ease Into Healthy Habits

Week 14: Incorporate Strength Training

This week is about strength training & how the body benefits in so many ways from weight bearing exercises. Increasing muscle mass & bone density, decreasing risk of bone fractures, & improving joint flexibility are just some of them.

Exercising with dumbbells, kettlebells, weight machines, resistance bands, suspension equipment like the , or your own bodyweight can help boost metabolism & build lean muscle mass. The more muscle the body has, the more calories the body burns. We all want that kind of efficiency. Strength training has the power to do that for our bodies & our hearts.

Here are some basic movement patterns when incorporating strength training. They will give the body a well rounded workout & train your muscles for functional everyday movements.

•Push (chest, shoulders, triceps)
•Pull (back, shoulders, biceps)
•Squat or Lunge (quads, glutes, hamstrings)
•Rotate (abdominals, obliques, back)

There can be a lot more involved when starting a strength training routine. It can be helpful to work with a Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, or other kind of Movement Specialist when starting on this journey. You don’t need them forever, but they can help set you up with proper form and exercises that will compliment your health & fitness goals.

15 Weeks- Gentle Ease Into Healthy Habits

Week 13: Play

I’m happy to introduce this weeks healthy habit as something everybody wants more of in their lives- play.

Life can be so serious. We need opportunities to have fun and play so that we can create new memories, feel euphoric, lighten our burdens, and deepen our bonds with others.

I remember growing up was all about play with friends and family. Everyday was filled with sports or dancing or playing outdoor games with my neighborhood friends. We didn’t have phones to bog us down. We had to make things up and get creative with our time.

Once I had kids, I started feeling like I was sacrificing my fun so they could play. That didn’t make any sense. I decided to change that way of thinking and create more ways that I could actually be the one doing what I love.

I encourage you to play this week and for all the future weeks ahead. Whatever that looks like for you, try to carve out that time. Go bowling, dance in the rain, go play a game of laser tag or a board game, swing at the playground, build legos, or get a group of friends over to play cards. It’s important for your health and well being and your peeps will thank you for the laughter and memories you create together.

fun

15 Weeks- Gentle Ease Into Healthy Habits

Week 11: Incorporate Balance Training

Balance is something we can all use more of in our lives and I mean that in many ways. I am only going to address balance from a training standpoint though as this week’s healthy habit to start easing back into.

I like to focus on balance exercises with my clients because I see the benefit it has for long term health. Balance training not only teaches us how to control our body’s position during movement and while standing still, it is also crucial in helping prevent falls and injuries, improves coordination and reaction time, and promotes joint stability.

Starting out simple and then progressing as you get more comfortable is the way to go. No need to get fancy- balance exercises can be done almost anywhere and without any equipment and still be challenging.

In the next few days, I will be sharing some exercises that I incorporate in my weekly routine as well as with my clients. Stay tuned.

Thank you for the pose!

15 Weeks- Gentle Ease Into Healthy Habits

Week 10: Connection

This week, my hope is for all of us to find or make some connection. The past year and a half has been lonely at times. It’s shown us how isolated we have had to be in order to protect each other. For some of us, maybe it’s been a blessing in disguise because it has taught us to slow down and has removed some much needed things out of our lives. For others, it’s been really challenging mentally and emotionally because physical and social needs haven’t been met.

If you haven’t quite branched back out into the world yet, I encourage you to take some small steps toward finding connection. Maybe it’s meeting a friend for lunch in the park, holding your loved ones hand, buying tickets to see some live art, dusting off those old roller skates & skating on the boardwalk, joining a sports recreational league in your neighborhood, or just sitting in nature all by yourself.

Finding something or someone to connect to can boost mood, lower anxiety and depression, and improve our immune system. It’s about time we take a chance and reach out. This is one healthy habit that will pay off for the rest of your life.

Give me a call if you ever want to connect. 😀😀

15 Weeks- Gentle Ease Into Healthy Habits

Week 9: Rest

Rest.
This could be one of the hardest habits I’m encouraging you to try on. We are so wired to be constantly moving, working, creating, loving, buying, engaging, providing, and producing that we forget to stop and rest.

Some of us even feel worse when we aren’t constantly doing something. Sitting in our emotions can be uncomfortable. Staying busy keeps us safe.

Let’s take this week to practice some moments of rest and then work on incorporating it into a new daily habit you keep forever!
Maybe it’s 5 minutes of sitting down and drinking that glass of water, or a quick 10 minute nap, or even a whole day of saying no to anything you feel obligated to do. Maybe you just need to rest from social media, or from cooking dinners for your family, or from being so hard on yourself. Try something that allows YOU some time to breathe and recharge.

I know I probably don’t need to tell you some of the benefits of rest but here you go anyway.
•Reduces stress & anxiety
•Improves mood
•Decreases blood pressure
•Improves immune health
•Chronic pain relief

This week I’m gonna rest too! See you next Monday for Week 10!